Electrostatic Force Assisted Exfoliation of Prepatterned Few-Layer Graphenes into Device Sites

Abstract

We present a novel fabrication method for incorporating nanometer to micrometer scale few-layer graphene (FLG) features onto substrates with electrostatic exfoliation. We pattern highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using standard lithographic techniques and subsequently, in a single step, exfoliate and transfer-print the prepatterned FLG features onto a silicon wafer using electrostatic force. We have successfully demonstrated the exfoliation/printing of 18 nm wide FLG nanolines and periodic arrays of 1.4 mum diameter pillars. Furthermore, we have fabricated graphene nanoribbon transistors using the patterned graphene nanoline. Our electrostatic force assisted exfoliation/print process does not need additional adhesion layers and could be stepped and repeated to deliver the prepatterned graphitic material over wafer-sized areas and allows the construction of graphene-based integrated circuits.