Graphene Devices: Structured Graphene Devices for Mass Transport (Small 6/2011) |
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Authors: | Amelia Barreiro Riccardo Rurali Eduardo R. Hernández Adrian Bachtold |
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Affiliation: | 1. CIN2 (ICN‐CSIC) Barcelona, Campus UAB, E‐08193 Bellaterra, Spain;2. Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5046, 2600 GA, Delft, The Netherlands;3. Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB‐CSIC), Campus de Bellaterra, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;4. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM‐CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, E‐28049 Madrid, Spain |
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Abstract: | The reversible atomic‐mass transport along graphene devices has been achieved. The motion of Al and Au in the form of atoms or clusters is driven by applying an electric field between the metal electrodes that contact the graphene sheet. It is shown that Al moves in the direction of the applied electric field whereas Au tends to diffuse in all directions. The control of the motion of Al is further demonstrated by achieving a 90° turn, using a graphene device patterned in a crossroads configuration. The controlled motion of Al is attributed to the charge transfer from Al onto the graphene so that the Al is effectively charged and can be accelerated by the applied electric field. To get further insight into the actuation mechanism, theoretical simulations of individual Al and Au impurities on a perfect graphene sheet were performed. The direct (electrostatic) force was found to be ~1 pN and dominant over the wind force. These findings hold promise for practical use in future mass transport in complex circuits. |
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Keywords: | electronics mass transport electromigration graphene |
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