Concepedia

Graphene-based Composite Thin Films for Electronics

Nano Letters · 2009 · 685 citations · 21 references

TL;DR

Solution‑processed composite thin films of functionalized graphene sheets embedded in a polystyrene matrix exhibit notable electrical properties. Device performance was examined as a function of the functionalized graphene sheet size within the composite films. Transistors made from these composite films show ambipolar field‑effect behavior due to percolation of graphene sheets, with the largest sheets delivering the highest mobility, demonstrating a simple, scalable, low‑cost approach for macro‑scale electronics.

Abstract

The electrical properties of solution-processed composite thin films consisting of functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) as the filler and polystyrene (PS) as the host material are described. We demonstrate that transistors from graphene-based composite thin films exhibit ambipolar field effect characteristics, suggesting transport via percolation among FGS in the insulating PS matrix. Device characteristics as a function of the FGS size are also reported. The results indicate that devices fabricated using the largest size FGS yield the highest mobility values. This simple and scaleable fabrication scheme based on a commodity plastic could be useful for low-cost, macro-scale electronics.