Large-Scale Graphene on Hexagonal-BN Hall Elements: Prediction of Sensor Performance without Magnetic Field

Abstract

A graphene Hall element (GHE) is an optimal system for a magnetic sensor because of its perfect two-dimensional (2-D) structure, high carrier mobility, and widely tunable carrier concentration. Even though several proof-of-concept devices have been proposed, manufacturing them by mechanical exfoliation of 2-D material or electron-beam lithography is of limited feasibility. Here, we demonstrate a high quality GHE array having a graphene on hexagonal-BN (h-BN) heterostructure, fabricated by photolithography and large-area 2-D materials grown by chemical vapor deposition techniques. A superior performance of GHE was achieved with the help of a bottom h-BN layer, and showed a maximum current-normalized sensitivity of 1986 V/AT, a minimum magnetic resolution of 0.5 mG/Hz0.5 at f = 300 Hz, and an effective dynamic range larger than 74 dB. Furthermore, on the basis of a thorough understanding of the shift of charge neutrality point depending on various parameters, an analytical model that predicts the magnetic sensor operation of a GHE from its transconductance data without magnetic field is proposed, simplifying the evaluation of each GHE design. These results demonstrate the feasibility of this highly performing graphene device using large-scale manufacturing-friendly fabrication methods. © 2016 American Chemical Society