Copper NanoWire Growth and Analysis for Graphene Construction

1. Copper NanoWire Growth and Analysis for Graphene Construction • Thaddeus J. Krawczyk, Jr. • Computer Engineer ’14

2. Agenda • Reasons for studying copper nanowire growth • Growth and deposition techniques • Methods of analysis and results • Potential usage in graphene construction

3. Background • Graphene is a single layer of hexagonal carbon atoms. • It can be made to have semiconducting properties that make it a potential replacer of silicon in electronics. • Primarily “grown” on metal plates Image Courtesy hplusmagazine.com

4. Growing Copper NanoWires • Grown by oxidizing copper in a furnace • When copper oxidizes it “grows” • Primarily grows on edges of surface

5. Microscopy • Primary tools for analysis were the Philips XL30 ESEM-FEG and the Philips CM200 TEM • Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy Image Courtesy of ITG Beckman

6. Growth Results Copper Wool Copper Grids

7. Deposition on Another Surface • Deposition to another substrate was needed for further processing • SiO2 was chosen as the substrate • Various methods used • ESEM confirms success of all methods, varied effectiveness

8. Oxidation • Was the copper fully oxidized? • TEM analysis shows that it might have copper core • Acetic acid bath was necessary to confirm

9. Acetic Acid Etching • Sample was placed in acetic acid bath • After removal, was dried and then analyzed using an ESEM

10. Next Steps • Graphene growth is being performed on the wires using a clean room environment • Analysis of the copper to determine graphene growth • Make electronics that utilize the graphene

11. Acknowledgements • Joshua D. Wood • Professor Joseph W. Lyding • STM Group • ITG staff and facilities