Karl Franzens University Graz
Graz University of Technology
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Karl Franzens University Graz | Graz University of Technology | |
Epitaxial Graphene on SiC Graphene, a single monolayer of sp2-bonded carbon, is a very unique 2-dimensional electron gas system with electronic properties fundamentally different to other 2DEG systems. Due to its peculiar band structure, charge carriers in graphene are described by the relativistic Dirac equation for massless particles. This results in extraordinary transport properties which have recently attracted considerable attention. The observation of large and robust carrier mobility and ballistic transport make graphene an interesting candidate for application in electronic devices. While many exciting results have been obtained with exfoliated graphene, technological applications demand growth methods suitable for producing large area graphene layers. The possibility to grow epitaxial graphene and ultrathin graphite layers (so-called few layer graphene, FLG) on the basal plane surfaces of the wide band gap semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising approach. The 2-dimensional nature of epitaxial graphene and FLG layers make them an ideal subject for surface science methods such as photo electron spectroscopy (XPS, ARPES), scanning probe microscopy (AFM, STM), and electron diffraction (LEED). The presentation gives an overview over our recent studies of epitaxial graphene and FLG layers on SiC surfaces covering their growth, electronic structure, and structural properties. |