Graphene hybrids for biological and chemical sensing
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsJoshua A. Robinson, Natalie Briggs, Kenneth Knappenberger, Tian Zhao
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Abstract
Embodiments relate to a layered material (having a substrate, at least a buffer layer, with zero or more growth layers) that has been intercalated via a process that decouples (physically and electronically) the buffer layer from the substrate, thereby resulting in the creation of few-atom thick metal layers that exhibit a range of optical properties, including plasmonic or electronic resonance, that enables superior optical (e.g. Raman) detection of molecules.
Claims12
A plasmonic or electronically resonant material, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of epitaxial growth layers formed on the substrate, the plurality of epitaxial growth layers comprising:
- a buffer layer adjacent the substrate, the buffer layer being an electrically inactive layer, the buffer layer being partially bonded via covalent bonding to the substrate;
- and
- a growth layer adjacent the buffer layer, the growth layer including a plurality of defects, the growth layer being an electrically active layer;
- and
- an interface layer formed between the plurality of epitaxial growth layers and the substrate, the interface layer comprising graphene passivated with intercalant, wherein the intercalate physically and electronically decouples the buffer layer from the substrate.
A method for forming a plasmonic or electronically resonant material, the method comprising:
- generating a plurality of epitaxial growth layers on a substrate, the plurality of epitaxial growth layers comprising:
- a buffer layer adjacent the substrate, the buffer layer being an electrically inactive layer, the buffer layer being partially bonded via covalent bonding to the substrate;
- a growth layer adjacent the buffer layer, the growth layer being an electrically active layer;
- generating the plurality of defects in the growth layer;
- and
- intercalating the buffer layer with intercalant by allowing the intercalant to migrate through a plurality of defects in the growth layer and into the buffer layer, wherein the intercalate physically and electronically decouples the buffer layer from the substrate.
A method for forming a plasmonic or electronically resonant material, the method comprising:
- generating an epitaxial growth layer on a substrate, the epitaxial growth layer comprising a buffer layer adjacent the substrate, the buffer layer being an electrically inactive layer, the buffer layer being partially bonded via covalent bonding to the substrate, wherein generating the epitaxial growth layer comprises sublimation;
- and
- intercalating the buffer layer with intercalant to physically and electronically decouple the buffer layer from the substrate, wherein intercalation comprises thermal evaporation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.