Ozone-exposure and annealing effects on graphene-on-SiO2 transistors

We employ resistance measurements and Raman spectroscopy to investigate the effects of UV ozone (UVO) exposure and Ar annealing on graphene-on-SiO2 transistors. Shorter UVO exposures lead to oxygen adsorption and doping; longer exposures lead to significant defect generation and then to etching. Elevated-temperature Ar annealing following UVO exposure leads to local defect healing, as shown by the evolution of the characteristic Raman D-and G-peaks. In striking contrast, the overall graphene transistor resistance increases significantly due to void formation. Density functional calculations show that carbon-oxygen reactions lead to efficient consumption and release of C atoms (as CO or CO2) under conditions of high surface oxygen concentration. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4753817]