Silicon carbide and Epitaxial Graphene: Electronic Properties

Due to its outstanding physical properties, silicon carbide (SiC) is suitable as a semiconductor material for high-performance devices that can operate under extreme conditions (high electrical voltage, high electrical power, high temperatures, ...). Graphene, which is an atomically thin layer of the carbon material graphite, is as a metal also one of the outstandingly robust materials. We grow it on the surface of silicon carbide.
We investigate the novel metallic properties of graphene, the semiconductor properties of SiC (especially the influence of defects and dopants) and the combined metal/semiconductor system. For our experiments, we fabricate custom devices ourselves. We continue to exploit the outstanding properties of SiC for novel functionalities beyond electronics.

In doing so, we successfully collaborate with various regional and international research institutions, but also with industrial companies.

Projects

We propose a concept to build electronic devices and circuits employing the material system "epitaxial graphene on SiC". This material system consists of graphene, silicon carbide, and the epitaxially defined interface in between. We have already demonstrated the functionality of a single transistor that used the semiconductor as channel and consequently displayed excellent on/off ratios, in contrast to pure graphene transistors. Moreover, the usage of graphene as contact material delivers superior…

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