Graphene Oxide Thin Films: A Simple Profilometer for Film Thickness Measurement
Satish Bykkam1, K. Venkateswara Rao2, Ch. Shilpa Chakra3, V. Rajendar4, Rotte Naresh kumar5, J.Ananthaiah6
1Satish Bykkam, Centre for Nano Science and Technology, IST, JNTU Hyderabad, (A.P), India.
2K.Venkateswara Rao, Centre for Nano Science and Technology, IST, JNTU Hyderabad, (AP), India.
3Ch.Shilpa Chakra, Centre for Nano Science and Technology, IST, JNTU Hyderabad, (AP), India.
4V.Rajendar, Centre for Nano Science and Technology, IST, JNTU Hyderabad, (AP), India.
5Rotte Naresh kumar, School of Engineering Science and Technology, University of Hyderabad, (A.P), India.
6J.Ananthaiah, School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, (A.P), India.
Manuscript received on January 24, 2013. | Revised Manuscript received on February 10, 2013. | Manuscript published on February 28, 2013. | PP: 341-344 | Volume-2 Issue-3, February 2013. | Retrieval Number: C1125022313/2013©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Graphene oxide (GO) films are a few hundred nanometers thick semi-transparent films which have recently become commercially available. GO, used to make the films, is the oxidized form of graphene which can be visualized as a graphene sheet with its basal plane decorated by oxygen-containing groups. GO, produced using the Hummers method, is hydrophilic, solution processable, and an insulator. GO can also be treated to be converted into reduced Graphene Oxide, which is conductive. The GO can be deposited onto a substrate such as FTO, ITO and glass, to create films. The resulting graphene oxide film measured by a simple profilometer based upon a commercial strain gauge force transducer is described. It has been used on polymer film coated substrates to determine film thicknesses on the order of 20 mn. Measured film thicknesses agree with gravimetrically determined values to within 20 nm and also suitable to potential applications.
Keywords: Hummers’ method, Graphene oxide thin film, spin coating, profilometer.