Impact of Silver Nanoparticles on Current Transport in CVD Mono-layer Graphene/Si Junctions

This work presents the impact and interaction of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on chemical vapor deposited (CVD) mono-layer graphene-Si junctions. The vertical and lateral/surface current transport properties for different Si-substrate samples (varying top Si surface treatment) are studied using conductive mode Atomic Force Microscope (C-AFM) and micro-probe station. The presence of NPs modulates the surface conductivity of the graphene layers. Additionally, the presence of a thin 2nm Al
₂
O
₃
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) between the Si substrate and CVD graphene film enhances the transport across the junction by providing an effective lower contact resistance for the nano-SB junction. The results indicate that the presence of cluster of NPs lowers the junction current. Whereas a single NP (nano-probe) contact enhances the localized electric field thus increasing the reverse bias tunneling current. The combination of NPs sizes and types will allow for custom tuning of the nano-SB properties for the desired applications.