Graphene ball structure and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A graphene dot structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The graphene dot structure includes a core including a semiconductor material; and a graphene shell formed on the surface of the core. The graphene dot structure may form a network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A graphene dot structure comprising:
 a core comprising a semiconductor material; and   a shell formed on the surface of the core, said shell comprising graphene.   
     
     
         2 . The graphene dot structure of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises a IV group semiconductor, a III-V group semiconductor, or a II-VI group semiconductor. 
     
     
         3 . The graphene dot structure of  claim 1 , wherein the core has an average size in the range of about 1 nm to about 10 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The graphene dot structure of  claim 1 , wherein the graphene shell has one or more layers. 
     
     
         5 . The graphene dot structure of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises:
 a first core; and   a second core formed on the surface of the first core and comprising the semiconductor material.   
     
     
         6 . The graphene dot structure of  claim 5 , wherein the first core comprises an non-conductive material or a metal. 
     
     
         7 . A network structure comprising a plurality of the graphene dot structures as described in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing a graphene structure, the method comprising:
 providing a gas including a semiconductor material and a gas including carbon into a reaction chamber; and   performing chemical vapor deposition to form a core of the semiconductor material and a shell of graphene on the surface of the core.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises a IV group semiconductor, a III-V group semiconductor, or a II-VI group semiconductor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the core is formed to have a diameter in the range of about 1 nm to about 10 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the graphene shell is formed to have one or more layers. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the reaction chamber comprises a non-conductive material or a metal, and the semiconductor material is deposited onto the non-conductive material or the metal. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising removing the core from the structure of the semiconductor core and the graphene shell. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the removing comprises wet etching the semiconductor core. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the removing comprises vaporizing the semiconductor core at a temperature and a pressure allowing the vaporization of the semiconductor core. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the gas including the semiconductor material comprises GeH 4  gas and the gas including the carbon comprises CH 4  gas. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the temperature of the reaction chamber is maintained in the range of about 200° C. to about 900° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the pressure of the reaction chamber is maintained in the range of about 0.1 Torr to about 300 Torr. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprises forming a network of a plurality of the formed structures of the semiconductor core and the graphene shell.