Research project

The characteristics of metallic contacts and their influence on the electronic properties of graphene is of great importance for further development of graphene based electronic devices and sensors. In this project low-temperature ultra-high-vacuum Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) and Spectroscopy will be used to provide a data basis for an atomic scale understanding of material, interface and device properties of metal/graphene systems. We will study in detail the binding, electron transfer and modification of substrate coupling between different metals and epitaxial graphene layers grown on SiC single crystals. Starting from these equilibrium properties, electron transport across a metal/graphene interface in the graphene layer and the detrimental influence of contact resistances and metal adsorbate scattering will be characterized.