Modified, semiconducting graphene in contact with a metal: Characterization of the Schottky diode

In this paper, we report the fabrication and characterization of Schottky rectifying junctions between semiconducting, modified single-layer graphene and a metal. The pristine, semimetallic behavior of graphene is altered by controlled exposure to an oxygen plasma, resulting in the opening of an optical band gap as shown by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The occurrence of a Schottky barrier between semiconducting graphene and metals with different work functions (Al, Cr, Pd, and Yb) is investigated by electrically characterizing the as-fabricated junctions. The rectifying properties of our Schottky diodes show the potential of semiconducting, modified graphene as building block of elementary logic circuits. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3495777]