Development of novel conduction control technique for graphene

A team headed by Dr. Shu Nakaharai, a Designated Intensive Researcher at the Collaboration Research Team Green Nanoelectronics Center (hereinafter, GNC; Leader: Naoki Yokoyama), Nanoelectronics Research Institute (Director: Seigo Kanemaru), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (hereinafter, AIST; President: Tamotsu Nomakuchi), and Dr. Shinichi Ogawa, an Invited Researcher at the Nanoelectronics Research Institute, AIST Innovation Center for Advanced Nanodevices (Director: Hiroyuki Akinaga), in joint research with a team headed by Dr. Kazuhito Tsukagoshi, a MANA Principal Investigator at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (hereinafter, WPI-MANA; Director-General: Masakazu Aono), National Institute for Materials Science (hereinafter, NIMS; President: Sukekatsu Ushioda), developed a novel technique for controlling the electrical conductivity of graphene.

In the technique developed in this research, a helium ion beam is irradiated on graphene using a helium ion microscope to artificially introduce a low concentration of crystal defects, and it becomes possible to modulate the movement of electrons and holes in the graphene by applying a voltage to the gate electrode. Although this phenomenon of conduction control by introduction of crystal defects had been predicted theoretically, there were no examples in which on/off operation at room temperature was achieved experimentally. It is possible to introduce the technique developed in this work in the existing framework of production technology, including large area wafers.