Temperature-Dependent Optical Properties of Graphene on Si and SiO₂/Si Substrates

Abstract

Systematic investigations are performed to understand the temperature-dependent optical properties of graphene on Si and SiO2/Si substrates by using a variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical constants of graphene have revealed changes with the substrate and temperature. While the optical refractive index (n) of monolayer graphene on Si exhibited clear anomalous dispersions in the visible and near-infrared region (400–1200 nm), the modification is moderate for graphene on SiO2/Si substrate. Two graphene sheets have shown a pronounced absorption in the ultraviolet region with peak position related to the Van Hove singularity in the density of states. By increasing the temperature from 300 K to 500 K, for monolayer graphene on Si, the n value is gradually increased while k decreased. However, the optical constants [n, k] of monolayer graphene on SiO2/Si exhibited unpredictable wave variations. In the wavelength range of 400–1200 nm, an experiential formula of a like-Sellmeier equation is found well suited for describing the dispersions of graphene on Si and SiO2/Si substrates.

Keywords

• graphene
• spectroscopic ellipsometry
• optical properties
• temperature-dependent characteristics