Exfoliation, Characterizations, and Applications of 2D Gallium Sheets

Date
2016-11-30
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Abstract

The isolation of graphene from graphite have boomed the two dimensional materials research for many years. The metallic layers have been studied rarely, so I decided to explore the two-dimensional gallium layer. Unlike the traditional top-down techniques of exfoliation, I here develop a novel solid-melt interface exfoliation technique, which take advantages of the interface between the solid and molten phases of the gallium. Some characterization figures will be reported to study the thickness, the morphology, the crystal nature, and the composition details. I also used the standard electron beam lithography to fabricate the gallium device, which helps to investigate the electronic properties of the atomic-thick gallium layer. At last, to prove the scalability and reproducibility of the solid-melt exfoliation technique, I used a new stamping technique to create gallium layers showing a successful rate between 80%-90%, which could be established to a unique and innovative metal stamping technique in future industry. Also, I provided several possible improvements and insights about my own project, which may worth a try in future study. At last, the progress and challenges of the two dimensional materials area will be covered according to my own understanding.

Description
Degree
Master of Science
Type
Thesis
Keywords
2D Materials, Gallium, Nanotechnology
Citation

Zhang, Yuan. "Exfoliation, Characterizations, and Applications of 2D Gallium Sheets." (2016) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/95982.

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