Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a variety of unique qualities and characteristics that set them apart from other materials, making them ideal for applications in electronics, biomedicine, energy, and composites. From micromechanical cracking to chemical vapor deposition, a variety of technologies are being utilized and developed to manufacture 2D materials of diverse sizes, shapes, and quality.
Alfa Chemistry is helping industries take advantage of emerging 2D materials and their valuable properties. We are a world leader in 2D material structure characterization methodologies, metrology, and quality control. We are uniquely qualified to discuss your 2D material characterization difficulties and assist you in commercializing these fascinating materials due to our considerable expertise and experience.
Measurement of Key Structural Properties
Because 2D materials can easily be doped or contaminated with atmosphere and substrate through interactions, their properties are dictated by complicated combinations of their morphology, chemistry, and electronic states that occur from the mixing of their intrinsic and extrinsic features. As a result, methodologies for measuring fundamental qualities on a small scale and, more critically, correlating these measurements with 2D material device performance are required.
The ability to perform real-time, the in-situ analysis represents a major advantage of these techniques. The study of environmental effects, such as temperature, humidity, and gas composition, on the structural and mechanical properties of 2D materials, is another advantage of these methods. The goal of Alfa Chemistry is to develop metrology methods for measuring key structural properties of 2D materials, including lateral dimensions and thickness, stiffness, deformation, and defect structure.
Our Measurement Capabilities
Alfa Chemistry employs a variety of approaches, including but not limited to the following.
- For mapping 2D material surface topography along with quantitative measurements of fundamental properties such as Young's modulus, deformation levels, and adhesion, we use Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM - including force modulation, force-distance, and transverse force microscopy modes).
- We use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to image 2D material surfaces at the atomic level in order to gain information about the electronic structure and map the local density of states as a function of energy within the sample.
- For identifying and mapping the layers and orientation of the surface, defects, contamination, and doping, we use Raman spectroscopy and microscopy, such as tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) with a lateral resolution of up to 10 nm. They'll be utilized to investigate the shape and structure of 2D materials' surfaces, as well as to measure nanomechanical properties.
Fig 1. (a) An STM image of a 2D Si layer reveals a honeycomb-like structure. (b) AFM image of monolayer silicene deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at room temperature. (Mujib S, et al. 2020)
Innovative and 2D material-related product development is aided by our research and measurement solutions. We collaborate with businesses, universities, and research institutes to help them achieve commercial success. You didn't find what you were looking for? We can deliver unique solutions because of our wide skill set. Please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
Reference
- Mujib S, et al. (2020). "Design, Characterization, and Application of Elemental 2D Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage, Sensing, and Catalysis." Mater. Adv. 1: 2562-2591.
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