Graphene-Based Nanoscale Vacuum Channel Transistor

We report the fabrication and electrical performance of nanoscale vacuum channel transistor (NVCT) based on graphene. Ninety-nanometer-width vacuum nano-channel could be precisely fabricated with standard electron beam lithography process. The optimization and treatment of surface damage and adhesive residue on graphene are carried out by ultrasonic cleaning and thermal annealing. Additionally, in situ electric characteristics are directly performed inside a vacuum chamber of scanning electron microscope (SEM) with the nanomanipulator. By modulating the gate voltage, the NVCT could be switched from off-state to on-state, exhibiting an on/off current ratio up to 102 with low working voltages (< 20 V) and leakage current (< 0.5 nA). Furthermore, the nanoscale vacuum channel could enable to scale down the size of vacuum devices with high integration, making NVCT a promising candidate for high speed applications.