Monitoring electron-beam irradiation effects on graphenes by temporal Auger electron spectroscopy

Because of its unique electronic transport properties, graphene has attracted an enormous amount of interest recently. By using standard Auger electron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we have studied electron-beam irradiation effects on graphene damage. We have shown that irradiation with an electron-beam can selectively remove graphene layers and induce chemical reactions, as well as possible structural transformations. We have also demonstrated the dependence of damage in graphene on electron-beam dose. Our work provides ideas on how to optimize the experimental conditions for graphene characterization and device fabrication. The results throw light on how energy transfer from the electron beam to graphene layers leads to the removal of carbon atoms from graphene layers and on the possibility of using electron-beam irradiation to locally induce chemical reactions in a controlled manner.