Precise lateral control of graphene via living zigzag edges

Abstract

From chemical vapor deposition grown film to nanoscale lithographic devices, etching is a critical procedure to define two-dimensional (2D) materials’ geometry and edge type. Many reported etching procedures could potentially damage the activity of the edge, while a living edge is capable to heal and regrow back. Here we successfully demonstrated a continuous growth-etching-regrowth procedure to achieve the precise lateral control of graphene basal plane. The etching process leaves graphene with dominant zigzag edges. Up to 85% of the new graphene domains can be regrown from the living edges, replicating the graphene’s crystallographic orientation before the etching. At 1050 °C, the etching and regrowth can be linearly controlled at a rate of −2.7 μm/min and 2.4 μm/min, respectively. This represents a promising technique for precisely tailoring the lateral structure of graphene with selective edge type.