4 research outputs found
Planar nanoelectronic devices and biosensors using two-dimensional nanomaterials
© 2015 Dr. Feras Mohamad Ameer Al-DiriniGraphene, a monolayer of carbon atoms and the first two-dimensional (2D) material to be isolated, has sparked great excitement and vast opportunities in the global research community. Its isolation led to the discovery of a new family of materials that are completely 2D, each of which exhibits unique properties in its own right. Such a wide range of new nanomaterials in a completely unexplored 2D platform offers a potential treasure for the electronics industry, which is yet to be explored. However, after more than a decade of research, nanoelectronic devices based on 2D nanomaterials have not yet met the high expectations set for them by the electronics industry. This thesis hopes to drive these efforts forward by proposing a different approach for the conceptualization of nanoelectronic devices, in light of the new opportunities offered by 2D nanomaterials.
The proposed approach is centred on exploiting the truly unique property of two-dimensionality, which defines and distinguishes this exciting family of 2D nanomaterials, for the realization of completely 2D planar nanoelectronic devices. Less reliance is made on individual properties that are unique to individual 2D nanomaterials, however, wherever possible; such properties are exploited in enhancing the performance of the proposed devices. The proposed approach is applied to the conceptualization of a number of planar nanoelectronic devices that have a potential in a range of direct as well as long term envisioned applications, complementing conventional electronics on the short term but also having the potential to revolutionize electronics on the long term.
All of the proposed devices are planar, completely 2D and realizable within a single 2D monolayer, reducing the required number of processing steps and enabling extreme miniaturization and CMOS compatibility. For the first time, a 2D Graphene Self-Switching Diode (G-SSD) is proposed and investigated, showing promising potential as a nanoscale rectifier. By exploiting some of graphene’s unique properties, the G-SSD is transformed into different types of planar devices that can achieve rectification, Negative Differential Resistance (NDR) operation and tunable biosensing. The extension of the proposed approach to other types of 2D nanomaterials is also investigated, by exploring the implementation of SSDs using MoS2 and Silicene. Finally, new classes of graphene resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), with completely 2D planar architectures, are proposed, showing unique transport properties and with promising performance, while requiring minimal process steps during fabrication