Stenciling graphene, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes using elastomeric lift-off membranes.

Abstract

Graphene, a 2D crystal comprised of single-atom-thick sheets of hexagonal sp2 carbon atoms, has garnered much attention recently owing to potential applications in field-effect transistors (FETs), sensors, composite reinforcement, supercapacitors, and emissive displays.[1–5] While other low-dimensional allotropes of carbon have been extensively studied since their discoveries over 20 years ago,[6,7] graphene research is still in its infancy. Although many methods to synthesize these nanomaterials have been demonstrated, there are relatively few approaches to systematically organize these materials that meet the high throughput requirements for practical device applications. In this Communication, we demonstrate that thin elastomeric membranes comprised of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) can be utilized as physical stencils for patterning chemically converted graphene (CCG), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and fullerenes, all of which can be dispersed in hydrazine. Furthermore, this method represents a simple and versatile process to selectively register these carbon nanomaterials into configurations suitable for nanoelectronic devices.