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Layer-by-layer removal of graphene for device patterning.

Ayrat Dimiev¹, Dmitry V Kosynkin, Alexander Sinitskii

¹Department of Chemistry, Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, MS-222, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|March 10, 2011

Summary

Researchers developed a new method to precisely pattern graphene by sputter-coating with zinc and dissolving it with acid. This technique removes single graphene layers, enabling layer-by-layer fabrication for advanced electronic devices.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Surface Chemistry

Background:

Precise patterning of graphene is crucial for fabricating advanced electronic devices.
Current methods lack control over the number of graphene layers removed during patterning.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel method for controlled, layer-by-layer graphene removal.
To enable precise fabrication of graphene-based electronic components.

Main Methods:

Sputter-coating graphene and graphene-like materials with zinc.
Dissolving the zinc layer using dilute acid to remove the top graphene layer.
Utilizing predesigned zinc patterns for lithographic etching.

Main Results:

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The zinc/acid treatment successfully removes a single graphene layer while preserving underlying layers.

The method is effective across various graphene forms: graphene oxide, chemically converted graphene, CVD graphene, and mechanically cleaved graphene.

The top graphene layer is damaged during sputtering, and acid selectively removes this damaged carbon layer.

Conclusions:

This technique offers single-atomic-layer resolution patterning for graphene and related materials.
It provides unprecedented control over graphene layer removal, advancing fabrication for nanoelectronics.