Research

Our multidisciplinary group focuses on translational nanotechnology – from materials to devices to circuits, blurring the boundaries between chemistry, electronics, physics, materials science and mechanics. With access to state-of-the-art cleanroom fabrication techniques, we explore both the fundamental, theoretical nature of new materials and devices, as well as experimental implementations of these theories.

Translational Research Impact

– We were among the first groups to identify flexible nanosystems as the main opportunity for 2D materials. Since then, our pioneering research on flexible 2D nanoelectronics continues to lead the field and pave the path forward to move lab discoveries towards real applications. Our work has i) led to the 2014 invited review article in Nature Communications, ii) featured at leading conferences such as IEEE IEDM and US, EU, and Asian workshops/conferences, iii) covered by many media outlets (MIT tech review, Nature, PhysicsWorld, etc), and iv) resulted in the 2015 IEEE Early Career Award in Nanotechnology.

– After 20 years of basic research on monolayer silicon (silicene), we demonstrated for the first time experimental silicene devices in a 2015 Nature Nanotechnology paper. This breakthrough article has re-inspired the field for next generation quantum nanoelectronics and widely covered by more than 50 media outlets including Time magazine. Discover magazine selected it as one of the major breakthroughs of 2015.

– Our discovery of the optimum methodology of graphene monolayer growth on Cu films (rather than Cu foils) is now the most established process used for growing graphene on Si based substrates and commercialized as the main ‘push-button’ process recipe in the BM CVD Growth System manufactured by Aixtron, the leading carbon/graphene equipment company. This growth machine and method is now used to grow graphene films by researchers and R&D teams all over the World.

– Collaborative work with Prof. Rod Ruoff and Prof Qingkai Yu on electrochemical delamination transfer of graphene onto flexible and arbitrary substrates is the idea that has now led to the 2014 commercialization of low-cost graphene touchpanels sold by 2D Carbon and used in smartphones in Asia. The graphene touchpanels represents the first major consumer product based on graphene.

 

Research Areas

Flexible Electronics

-Carbon Electronics

-New Nanomaterials

-Nanotechnology and RF Electronics for Brain/Neurotechnology