Phys.org January 18, 2022
The major challenges toward the exploitation of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) in electronic applications include reliable contacting, and the preservation of their physical properties upon device integration. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, UK, Germany) described the quantum dot behavior of atomically precise GNRs integrated in a device geometry. The devices consist of a film of aligned five-atom-wide GNRs (5-AGNRs) transferred onto graphene electrodes with a sub 5 nm nanogap. They demonstrated that the narrow-bandgap 5-AGNRs exhibit metal-like behavior at room temperature and single-electron transistor behavior for temperatures below 150 K. They obtained addition energies in the range of 200–300 meV. Calculations predict comparable addition energies and reveal the presence of two electronic states within the bandgap of infinite ribbons when the finite length of the 5-AGNR is accounted for. Their study provides a critical step forward in the realization of more exotic GNR-based nanoelectronic devices…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Graphical abstract. Credit: ACS Nano 2020, 14, 5, 5754–5762, March 30, 2020Â