The 9th International Forum on Strategic Technology (IFOST), October 21-23, 2014, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Quantum Capacitance in Armchair Graphene

Nanoribbon Considering Edge Effect for Different
Channel Width
Asif Hassan1, Labib2,Minhaz Ibna Abedin3
Khulna University of Engineering and Technology,Bangladesh.1
Leading University,Bangladesh2
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh3
asif08ece@live.com1, labibul@gmail.com2, minhaz.eee.cuet@gmail.com3

Abstract— Armchair Graphene nanoribbons (A-GNRs) are Because of this effect, there is a change in electronic
important tonic in nanoscale transistor dominated laboratory properties like band gap energy, capacitance.
because of its semiconducting properties. Edge disorder in C-C
bond or effect in A-GNR has an important effect on electronic
properties like bandgap, capacitance. In previous literature these
properties are investigated without considering any edge effect of
A-GNRs. In this paper we will observe the band gap energy,
quantum capacitance considering edge effect for different width
of A-GNRs .We will then observe a comparison of quantum
capacitance with considering edge effect and simple band gap
energy formula.
Keywords—Graphene nanoribbon, bandgap, classical capacitance,
quantum capacitance.

I. INTRODUCTION
2
Graphene is a single layer of conjugated sp carbon atom
tightly packed into a benzene ring structure like a two
dimensional honeycomb lattice [1].It is now a potential
candidate in post silicon era of nanoelectronics due to some
exceptional electronic features [2].Some features like high
2 −1 −1
mobility(~10000 cm V s at room temperature) , high
switching speed and provides ballistic transport[3]. After Fig 1. Simplistic model of a monolyaer A-GNR. The gray circles denote
hydrogen atoms and black circle denotes carbon atoms .The number of
patterning the single layer of graphene lead it’s to dimmer line , the A-GNR width and length are represented by N , Wac, and L .
semiconducting graphene nanoribbon (GNR) in the field of
electronic application [4]. In this paper we will observe the integrated study using
width of A-GNR and considering edge effect in A-GNR.We
Because of using GNR a considerable band gap is also will observe the band gap energy, capacitance considering edge
observed. GNR has two prototypical shapes according to their effect as a controlling parameter of width. Then we will
edge combination. These are armchair-GNR(A-GNR) is used compare it with the simple model of without considering edge
as semiconducting materials depending upon the dimer line effect.
across its width and another one zigzag GNR which behaves
always metallic [5].The semiconducting electronic properties II. THEORY
of GNR have an direct relation with the source voltage which
The width of A-GNR has a simple and linear relation with
is applied to a device and another one is width of GNR which the N. It is normally calculated as [7]
has inverse relation of opening an band gap [6]. Edge disorder
in GNR has also significant importance on semiconducting
electronics like the earlier Silicon based technology.
3
978-1-4799-6062-0/14/$31.00©2014 IEEE
Wac = (N − 1) a (1)
2

456
where a = 0.142 nm is the nearest neighbor distance. Where
Band gap energy is the energy separation between the CB
and VB energy. So electron must have to give an equal or
f (E ) =
1
greater energy to conduct a device like field effect transistor
(FET) .The simple band gap energy without considering edge
exp¨
§ E − EF · + 1
effect is [8]. ¸
© kBT ¹
EG = 2π t 3 ( p
N +1
− 2
3
) (2)
E−E
Where t = −0.2 eV hopping parameter. x= G
2
Edge disorder or effect means the difference of C-C And kB = 1.38 × 10 −23 J / K (Boltzmann constant),
distance in a basic benzene ring of GNR .Now for this
consideration bandgap is calculated as[9] e = 1.6 × 10 −19 Columb, T = Room temperature.
p 2 p
E = 2 ( 2 s cos + 1 ) + 2 ( 2 s cos + 1) +
G 1 N +1 3 N +1 Now if the fixed Fermi energy level remains in close to CB
band energy quantum capacitance can be splitted in two
( +  ) regimes. These are like i) degenerate regime ii) non-degenerate
3 
8 1 sin 2 p regime.
N +1 N +1
In the degenerate regime the Fermi level energy locates in
(3) CB or close to CB. In this regime the condition becomes arise
where 1 = - 3.2 eV is the first nearest neighbor hopping E − E F < 3k B T and the Fermi function
parameter, 3 = - 0.3 eV is the third nearest neighbor hopping becomes f ( E ) = 1 .So the capacitance in this regime is
parameter, 1 = - 0.2 eV is the correction of 1 .
§ ·
¨ x + EG ¸
Upon this observation of width of A-GNR some electronic
e ¨ 2
2k B T ¸
parameter is observed. Capacitance is one of the important C QND = ¨ ¸
parameter in semiconducting device. It is generally denotes 3ta ¨ EG ¸
classical capacitance which is caused due to using dielectric ¨ x+x k T ¸
© B ¹ (6)
insulator oxide like here SiO2 .It can be determined simply
form the width of A-GNR, thickness of oxide and number of
gate used .Sometimes it is called as insulator capacitance which Whether in non-degenerate regime the Fermi level energy
is[3] locates in between the CB and VB. In this regime the condition
becomes arise E − E F > 3k B T . and the Fermi function
§ Wac · becomes f (E ) = exp[( E F − E ) / k B T ] .So the capacitance in
C = N G  k ¨¨ +  ¸¸
ins o
© t ox ¹ (4) this regime is

§ ·
¨ x + EG
where N G is the number of gates, k is the relative
¸

dielectric constant of the insulator, 0 is the permittivity of air, e ¨ 2
2k B T ¸
C QND = ¨ ¸ exp ()
tox SiO2 thickness and  = 1 is a dimensionless
represents 3ta
¨ x + x EG ¸
parameter . ¨ ¸
© k BT ¹ (7)
The A-GNR based FET must be a external gate voltage. For
this a Fermi energy is appeared and another capacitance is
formed which is called “quantum capacitance”. Upon the E −E
F c
position of Fermi energy this capacitance behaves differently in Where =
two different regimes. This capacitance is generally derived k BT
as[10] Here E is the CB energy and E is the Fermi energy.
c F
§ ·
¨ x + EG ¸ III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
e2 ¨ 2k B T ¸
C QND = ¨ ¸ f (E ) (5) A. Width of A-GNR
3ta
¨ x + x EG ¸ The width can be easily calculated from equation (1) and
¨ k B T ¸¹
© the relation between width of A-GNR and N will be linear as

457
seen from equation (1) which denotes a straight-line equation
as shown in Fig.2. We have plotted this two figure separately because they
behave differently. We have seen from the Fig.3 and 4 that
band gap energy is lower for considering edge effect. We know
14 that also more band gap energy means electron has to give
12 more energy to excite VB to CB. So edge effect has impact by
reducing the band gap energy. Here for Fig.3 it is calculated
10 0.90 to 0.73 eV where for Fig.4 it is 0.85 to 0.01eV.
(nm)

8
C. Classical capacitance
ac

6
W

140
4
120
2

0 100

(pF/m)
0 20 40 60 80 100
N 80

ins
Fig 2. Width of Armchair nanoribbon in (nm) vs. Number of dimer line.

C
60
Now we will observe the band gap energy , capacitance
upon our calculated value of width. 40

20
B. Bandgap Energy 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
W (nm)
We will first observe the bandgap energy for both ac

conditions like without considering any edge effect and with Fig 5. Classical capacitance (Cins) vs. width of A-GNR (Wac) at oxide
thickness (tox) of 4 nm .
considering edge effect.

0.95 70
N=3p

0.9 60
(pF/m)

0.85 50
EG(eV)

ins

40
0.8 t =4nm
C

ins
t =8nm
30 ins
0.75
t =12nm
ins

20
0.7 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
W (nm)
Wac(nm) ac

Fig 3. Band gap Energy (EG ) vs. width (Wac) of A-GNR with N =3p without Fig 6. Classical capacitance (Cins) vs. A-GNR width (Wac) at different oxide
considering edge effects. thickness (tox) of 4nm ,8nm and 12 nm.

From the Fig.5 it is seen that classical capacitance has

linearly increase with increase the width of A-GNR. It is
1 calculated as 31.95 to 120.80 pF/m. So this capacitance does
N=3p
not give clear understanding about the transport behavior of
0.8 carrier through A-GNR But this capacitance can be reduced by
increasing the thickness of SiO2 as seen from Fig.6.Because
0.6 the goal of electronic device study is to reduce the barrier of
EG(eV)

electron movement .And the capacitance which hinders the

0.4 normal movement of electron in a device.

0.2 D. Quantum capacitance

Now for the higher study of electron transport behavior in
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
a device we have to consider another capacitance like quantum
Wac(nm) capacitance. Because it gives information when the device is
Fig 4. Band gap Energy (EG ) vs. width (Wac) of A-GNR with N =3p with operated by a fixed gate voltage.
considering edge effects.

458
 300 300
Degenerate Regime Without Edge Effect
Nondegenerate Regime With Edge Effect
250 250

CQ(nondeg)(pF/m)
200 200
CQ(pF/m)

150 150

100 100

50 50

0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Wac(nm) Wac(nm)
Fig 7. Quantum capacitance (CQND) vs. width (Wac) of A-GNR without any
edge disorder in A-GNR. Fig 9. Quantum capacitance in non-degenerate regime (CQ(nondeg)) vs. width
(Wac) of A-GNR for both condition.
From the Fig.7 it is seen that the quantum capacitance in
From Fig. 9, it is observed that again similar response
non-degenerate regime is greater than in degenerate regime.
between the edge effect and without any edge effect. For edge
The quantum capacitance in non-degenerate regime has an
effect the capacitance is here 251.52 to 45.60 pF/m and
direct dependence with CB energy whether we have assumed
without any effect it is 265.98 to 224.23 pF/m.
that Fermi energy reside close to CB. So in non-degenerate
regime the quantum capacitance is higher than in degenerate
regime when a fixed Fermi level is used and width of A-GNR IV. CONCLUSION
is varied. Here the capacitance in degenerate regime is 180.52 In this paper we have observed the bandgap energy,
to 152.18 pF/m and capacitance in degenerate regime is 265.98 capacitance with considering edge effect and without edge
to 224.23 pF/m. And we have seen that capacitance has inverse effect for varying width of A-GNR. Edge effect has an impact
relation with width of A-GNR and it behaves as constant for of reducing the bandgap energy .For this electron has to give
larger width of A-GNR. lower energy to excite from VB to CB than without edge effct
consideration. This effect also significantly reduced the
300
Without Edge Effect quantum capacitance .For which electron face lower amount of
With Edge Effect hindrance along its path of movement. So edge effect study is
250
better way for the enhancement of fast switching of A-GNR
based FET.
200
CQ(deg)(pF/m)

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