Nanostructuring of epitaxial graphene layers on SiC by means of field-induced atomic force microscopy modification

Abstract

Micrometer-size graphene ribbons are generated by epitaxial growth on SiC substrates and contacted by electron beam lithography. The isolated graphene islands are patterned at nanometer scale by atomic force microscopy (AFM) under the application of an external polarization to the graphene layers. Contrary to previous reports, the patterning can be made at positive and negative polarizations and using significantly lower absolute voltages. The technique is used to tune the electrical resistance of the graphene ribbons. Combination of graphitization of SiC and AFM nanopatterning is, in consequence, a powerful approach for the fabrication of prototyped graphene-based nanoelectronic devices.

Conductive Atomic Force Microscope Nanopatterning of Epitaxial Graphene on SiC(0001) in Ambient Conditions

“…[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The local chemical contrast between the oxide nanopatterns and the remainder of the sample surface has been exploited to template subsequent selective attachment of organic and biological molecules. [ 9 ] Recently, cAFM has been employed for nanopatterning of carbon-based materials including carbon nanotubes, [ 25 ] mechanically exfoliated graphene fl akes, [26][27][28] epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide, [ 29 ] highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), [ 30 , 31 ] and graphene oxide. [ 32 ] In particular, the initial studies on graphene [26][27][28][29] have focused on the utility of cAFM nanopatterning for fabricating prototype electronic devices from graphene nanoribbons.…”

“…[ 9 ] Recently, cAFM has been employed for nanopatterning of carbon-based materials including carbon nanotubes, [ 25 ] mechanically exfoliated graphene fl akes, [26][27][28] epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide, [ 29 ] highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), [ 30 , 31 ] and graphene oxide. [ 32 ] In particular, the initial studies on graphene [26][27][28][29] have focused on the utility of cAFM nanopatterning for fabricating prototype electronic devices from graphene nanoribbons. However, the cAFM nanopatterning kinetics, growth mechanism, and chemistry on graphene remain open questions.…”

Direct writing of electronic devices on graphene oxide by catalytic scanning probe lithography

“…The possibility of direct writing on graphene to construct electronic circuits by scanning probe lithography (SPL) is particularly exciting and has been extensively examined by different approaches891011 with the focus of creating well-defined insulated separators on highly conductive graphene. In this context, a chemically more realistic approach is to create conducting nanoribbons on insulated graphene oxides (GO) through the reduction reaction.…”

Chemical and structural analysis of sub-20 nm graphene patterns generated by scanning probe lithography

“…This observation supports the use of a resist-free direct lithography technique such as o-SPL to pattern epitaxial graphene. Previous results of o-SPL on epitaxial graphene have shown the potential of this technique for the patterning of graphene on SiC [29][30][31], although high-resolution nanopatterns have not been produced so far for this type of graphene. Moreover, a deep characterization of the processes involved in o-SPL of graphene with nanometer resolution is missing.…”