High precision correlative analysis of dielectric behavior evolution and anisotropy in graphene oxide thin film as a function of thermal annealing parameters

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) attract keen interest from different science and technology sectors owing to their tunable material characteristics dependent on C/O ratio. Thermal annealing in different gaseous environments serves as an effective approach to manipulate the C/O ratio in graphitic lattice, making it suitable for various electronic, optical and composites applications. Despite regular use of thermal annealing, systematic studies on dielectric properties evolution in GO against different annealing parameters remain elusive. This work reports on a reliable approach that adopts a joint Raman Spectroscopy, Mueller Matrix Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (MMSE) and high-precision electrical impedance spectroscopy (HP-EIS) framework for studying the evolution of dielectric behavior and anisotropies in GO. The experimental platform involved lithography-defined GO patterns connected to metal microelectrodes and glass passivation for protection from gaseous environments during annealing and measurements using Raman, MMSE and HP-EIS. The presented study delineates the effects of annealing parameters such as temperature, heating rate, and gaseous environment on GO permittivity. Novel findings include the discovery of a direct relationship between heating rate and dielectric properties, as well as determination of vertical limitation of MMSE for permittivity distribution characterization in GO, for the first time, to be around 8 nm.