Abstract

The potential uses of graphene are currently being explored by the materials science community. Its immediate potential as a transparent conductive electrode for the microelectronics industry is already being exploited; the unique combination of electronic, chemical and structural properties exhibited by graphene are already having a significant impact on the development of thin film transistors and touch-screen devices. Further applications for the development of graphene-based catalytic systems and molecular sensors are also underway. Good materials characterization is required at all steps in the creation of new graphene devices, from guiding the initial graphene synthesis and transfer to the desired substrate, to chemical modification and analysis of the finished device. In this presentation we will show how a multi-technique approach using both Raman spectroscopy and XPS can address the challenges posed at these steps. These analytical techniques deliver complementary information but until recently this had to be collected using separate instruments. This makes true correlative measurements from exactly the same position difficult; necessitating additional software to match locations. By using a small form factor spectrometer, engineered to interface with the XPS vacuum system, data can be collected from exactly the same position on the sample. In this presentation we will discuss the benefits of a combined approach, illustrated with some applications examples, to show how the combination of molecular spectroscopy and surface analysis offers unique opportunities for materials analysis.