Mar 16, 2011

Free webinar explores graphene characterization techniques

(Nanowerk News) Keithley Instruments, Inc., a world leader in advanced electrical test instruments and systems, will broadcast a free, web-based seminar titled "Mastering Low Power, Low Voltage, Low Resistance Measurement Techniques for Characterizing Graphene and Other Nano Materials" on Thursday, March 24, 2011. This one-hour seminar will present techniques for making low current measurements and low resistance measurements on materials such as graphene, which must be characterized at very low power levels.

Graphene, a single-atom-thick form of carbon, was discovered by physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov of the University of Manchester, who received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research. They used two Keithley products, the Model 2182A Nanovoltmeter and the Model 2400 SourceMeter® instrument in their research. Graphene and its many derivations hold the promise of a wide range of applications, many of which are electrical in nature. Therefore, maximizing the effectiveness of electrical tests performed on graphene samples and functionalized graphene-based materials and active structures is crucial. Two of the most important measurements used are resistivity and quantum Hall effect, both of which require instruments capable of extremely low voltage and current measurements and also demand the use of specific techniques that provide accurate, repeatable results without degrading or destroying samples under test.

This seminar is recommended for researchers, engineers, and scientists in areas such as materials science, solid state physics, condensed matter physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering who want a better understanding of how to characterize graphene and other nanotechnology-based materials that must be tested at very low power levels. A variety of topics will be covered during the presentation:

Measurement configurations for determining resistance as a function of substrate voltage, current-voltage characterization, and Hall voltage measurements. How thermal offsets and noise sources can be minimized through measurement techniques and careful probe interface construction and cabling choices. How to obtain maximum accuracy and sensitivity with minimal parasitic errors and lowest potential for transient damage to the graphene device structures under test. Measurement techniques that effectively reject parasitic thermal offset voltages, yielding higher accuracies and resolutions through the use of offset compensation, source-measure based techniques. Driven guard techniques and proper shielded cable selection approaches working in conjunction with specialized voltage/current sources and nanovoltmeter instruments to optimize settling times and quality of measurements.

Robert Green, the web seminar presenter, is a senior market development manager at Keithley Instruments, which is part of the Tektronix test and measurement portfolio, where he focuses on low level measurement applications. During his 20-year career at Keithley, Green has been involved in the definition and introduction of a wide range of products, including picoammeters, electrometers, digital multimeters, and temperature measurement products. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

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