Improved understanding of metal–graphene contacts

Abstract Metal–graphene (M–G) contact resistance ( R C ) is studied through extensive experimental characterization, Monte–Carlo transport simulations and Density Functional Theory (DFT) analysis. We show that the back–gate voltage dependence of R C cannot be explained only in terms of the resistance of the junction at the edge between contact and channel region. Experiments and DFT calculations indicate a consistent picture where both Ni and Au contacts have a M–G distance larger than the minimum energy distance, and where the M–G distance is crucial in determining the R C value.