Work

Anisotropic Etching and Nanoribbon Formation in Single-Layer Graphene

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: We demonstrate anisotropic etching of single-layer graphene by thermally activated nickel nanoparticles. Using this technique, we obtain sub-10-nm nanoribbons and other graphene nanostructures with edges aligned along a single crystallographic direction. We observe a new catalytic channeling behavior, whereby etched cuts do not intersect, resulting in continuously connected geometries. Raman spectroscopy and electronic measurements show that the quality of the graphene is resilient under the etching conditions, indicating that this method may serve as a powerful technique to produce graphene nanocircuits with well-defined crystallographic edges.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/nl900811r

Authors: Leonardo C. Campos, Vitor R. Manfrinato, Javier D. Sanchez-Yamagishi, Jing Kong, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero

Institutions: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Universidade de São Paulo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Graphene research and applications

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Division of Materials Research

Awards: G3725677605, MIT Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)