{"id":7,"date":"2015-11-03T15:53:11","date_gmt":"2015-11-03T20:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.eng.ufl.edu\/faculty-site\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2025-12-18T11:13:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T16:13:11","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000\"><br \/>\n The focus of our research is on nanoscale electronic and photonic materials and devices, which is at the intersection of electrical engineering, physics, and materials science. \u00a0The main emphasis is on fundamental research in the physical sciences and engineering that will set the foundations of new materials and device technologies in the future. \u00a0Recently, we have been working on the following research areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Transparent, conductive, and flexible electrodes\u00a0based on\u00a0carbon nanotubes and graphene<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-576 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1-300x166.jpg\" alt=\"Picture2\" width=\"300\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1-1024x565.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1-768x424.jpg 768w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1-381x210.jpg 381w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/Picture2-1.jpg 1198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotube (CNT) films and graphene exhibit good electrical conductivity, high optical transparency, and mechanical flexibility. \u00a0As a result, they are excellent candidates for next generation transparent, conductive, and flexible electrodes for applications such as touch screens, electronic paper, LEDs, photodetectors, and solar cells. \u00a0Our work in this area includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Fabrication and characterization of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors with CNT film metal electrodes on silicon and GaAs substrates<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">MSM photodetectors with graphene\u00a0metal electrodes on silicon substrates\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/43_An_APL_2013.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Characterization of CNT film\/Silicon and graphene\/Silicon Schottky barrier photodetectors<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Mixed-dimensional van der Waals Schottky junctions between nanomaterials and conventional semiconductors<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-718 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/42_An_APL_2013_Fig1_reduced-291x300.jpg\" alt=\"42_An_APL_2013_Fig1_reduced\" width=\"291\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/42_An_APL_2013_Fig1_reduced-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/42_An_APL_2013_Fig1_reduced-204x210.jpg 204w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/42_An_APL_2013_Fig1_reduced.jpg 485w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px\" \/>For most device applications of nanomaterials, junctions play a significant role. \u00a0Mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterojunctions are formed by\u00a0stacking materials with different dimensionality through non-covalent van der Waals interactions.\u00a0 Heterojunctions between nanomaterials\u00a0and conventional semiconductors combine the advantages of new nanoscale materials with those of well-established semiconductor technology. \u00a0As a result, investigating such heterojunctions provides important insights for the future integration of nanomaterials with silicon device technology. \u00a0Our work in this area includes: \u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Graphene\/Silicon Schottky junctions with a tunable Schottky barrier height: \u00a0Investigation of thermionic emission, tunneling, and the Fermi level shift in graphene as function of applied bias<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Investigation of forward-bias diode parameters, electronic noise, and photoresponse of graphene\/silicon Schottky junctions with an interfacial native oxide layer<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">The electrical properties of CNT film\/oxide\/Silicon and graphene\/oxide\/silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS)\u00a0devices <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/45_An_APL_2016.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Low frequency noise and random telegraph signal (RTS) fluctuations in\u00a0CNT film\/Silicon Schottky junctions <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/41_An_APL_2012.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Percolation transport\u00a0in\u00a0nanostructures<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-730 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/27_Hicks_2009_fig1_reduced-300x203.jpg\" alt=\"27_Hicks_2009_fig1_reduced\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/27_Hicks_2009_fig1_reduced-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/27_Hicks_2009_fig1_reduced-310x210.jpg 310w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/27_Hicks_2009_fig1_reduced.jpg 590w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Percolation transport deals with the formation of long-range connectivity in random networks. \u00a0We have been working on experimental characterization and advanced modeling\/simulation of percolation transport in low dimensional nanostructure networks and films. \u00a0Our work in this area includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Experimental measurement\u00a0and Monte Carlo simulation of resistivity and 1\/<em>f<\/em> noise scaling in carbon nanotube (CNT) films\/networks as a function of nanotube and device parameters\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/18_Behnam_JAP_2007.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Study\u00a0of tunneling-percolation conduction in graphene-based multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Investigation of electronic transport in graphene nanoribbon networks\/films, such as Mott variable Range Hopping (VRH) and magnetoresistance at low temperatures and high electric fields\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/36_Behnam_ACSNano_2011.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Controlled growth and heterogeneous integration of nanomaterials with silicon technology<br \/>\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-740 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/19_Johnson_JVSTB_2008_Fig3_reduced_half-190x300.jpg\" alt=\"19_Johnson_JVSTB_2008_Fig3_reduced_half\" width=\"190\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/19_Johnson_JVSTB_2008_Fig3_reduced_half-190x300.jpg 190w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/19_Johnson_JVSTB_2008_Fig3_reduced_half-133x210.jpg 133w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2015\/11\/19_Johnson_JVSTB_2008_Fig3_reduced_half.jpg 443w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">We operate home-made chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems in our lab for growing a wide range of nanomaterials.\u00a0 Our work in this area includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Advanced methods of nanotube and nanowire growth, such as electric-field aligned growth and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) growth<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Ion implanted catalyst for CVD growth of nanotubes and nanowires, such as carbon nanotubes, silicon oxide nanowires, GaN nanowires, and Ga<sub>2<\/sub>O<sub>3<\/sub> nanoribbons<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Localized growth of carbon nanotubes on commercial foundry CMOS substrates at room temperature using microheaters\u00a0fabricated by maskless post-CMOS MEMS processing\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/38_Zhou_TNANO_2012.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Template-assisted growth of nanomaterials, such as nanotubes in porous anodic alumina (PAA) templates<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">Nanoscale molecular sensors<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-704 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/32_Johnson_AdvMat_2010_Fig2_773by597-300x232.gif\" alt=\"32_Johnson_AdvMat_2010_Fig2_773by597\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/32_Johnson_AdvMat_2010_Fig2_773by597-300x232.gif 300w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/32_Johnson_AdvMat_2010_Fig2_773by597-768x593.gif 768w, https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/38\/2016\/06\/32_Johnson_AdvMat_2010_Fig2_773by597-272x210.gif 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Nanoscale materials have naturally small size, extremely high surface-to-volume ratio, low noise, and low-power consumption.\u00a0 As a result of these significant advantages, they are excellent candidates for molecular gas and vapor sensors. \u00a0Furthermore, selectivity to different gas molecules can be achieved by surface functionalization. \u00a0Our work in this are includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Hydrogen sensors using Palladium-coated graphene nanoribbon networks\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nano.ece.ufl.edu\/publications\/33_Johnson_AdvMat_2010.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(Read sample publication)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Platinum functionalized graphene nanoribbon films (GNFs) for ammonia sensing<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Hydrogen sensing with functionalized GaN nanowire devices<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Nanoscale gas sensors for biomedical applications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The focus of our research is on nanoscale electronic and photonic materials and devices, which is at the intersection of electrical engineering, physics, and materials science. \u00a0The main emphasis is on fundamental research in the physical sciences and engineering that will set the foundations of new materials and device technologies in the future. \u00a0Recently, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/page-sidebar-none.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-7","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":836,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7\/revisions\/836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/ant-ural\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}