Electron tunneling in single layer graphene with an energy gap

When a single layer graphene is epitaxially grown on silicon carbide, it will exhibit a finite energy gap like a conventional semiconductor, and its energy dispersion is no longer linear in momentum in the low energy regime. In this paper, we have investigated the tunneling characteristics through a two-dimensional barrier in a single layer graphene with an energy gap. It is found that when the electron is at a zero angle of incidence, the transmission probability as a function of incidence energy has a gap. Away from the gap the transmission coefficient oscillates with incidence energy which is analogous to that of a conventional semiconductor. The conductance under zero temperature has a gap. The properties of electron transmission may be useful for developing graphene-based nano-electronics.