2D nanomaterial graphene is at the top of the significant interest due to the giant electron and hole mobility (up to 350 000 cm2 V–1 s–1); charge carrier multiplication, flexibility, optical transparency, chemical inertness.
One of the main objectives of the present EU Joint Graphene initiative is to produce 2D nanomaterial-based van der Waals heterostructures in a reliable, scalable and reproducible manner. Fabrication of the 2D nanomaterial-based multilayers or even ordered 3D materials provides even more opportunities. In such a way can be achieved effects which are impossible even for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown superlattices. For example, atomically sharp interfaces, activation of the charge carrier multiplication in graphene, attenuation of the giant photovoltaic effect in 2D ferroelectric, room-temperature excitonic superfluidity can be mentioned. However, this idea remains mainly at the level of the theoretical conceptions and modeling due to the technological obstacles.
Therefore, proposed project is related to the development of the new nanomaterials synthesis technologies. That is a direct synthesis of the doped graphene and graphene superlattices on the semiconductor substrates by vacuum and plasma methods. In the case of the successful implementation of the project, an idea of the Nobel price winner Andre Geim would be realized. That is a 2D crystal based atomic-scale Lego. Lego with blocks defined with one atomic plane precision. Our approach has advantages over manual fabrication of the stacks by a transfer process such as a substantially faster process, better process control, and possibility to avoid transfer related contamination and defect creation in (between) 2D layers of the stack (superlattice).
The main idea of the project is to move from the undoped and doped graphene layers to the in situ directly synthesized undoped/doped graphene bilayers. Finally, complex multilayer superlattices consisting of the graphene with and without the bandgap, high and low work function, n-type and p-type doped should be fabricated.
The aim of the proposed research is to make and to study nanomaterials with new properties fabricated by direct vacuum plasma monolayer-by-monolayer synthesis of the subsequent layers of 2D crystals and to apply them to the fabrication of the enhanced light conversion efficiency solar cells.
Project funding:
This research project is funded by the European Social Fund according to the 2014–2020 Operational Programme for the European Union Funds’ Investments under measure’s No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712 activity “Improvement of Researchers’ Qualification by Implementing World-class R&D Projects”.
Project results:
Scientific articles – 12 pcs.
Period of project implementation: 2018-10-02 - 2022-06-30
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
