Novel etching process for graphene fabrication utilizing oxidation decomposition reaction

我们表明，石墨烯层可以从石墨中去除的一层一层的方式使用由等离子体产生的活性氧物种。然而，拉曼光谱表明通过蚀刻制造的石墨烯片的表面被氧化。对氧化分解过程的仔细检查澄清了氧化仅发生在最顶部表面。这些结果表明建立一种程序的可能性，该程序使得可以通过控制层的数量从石墨蚀刻石墨烯层。我们的下一步是找到一种方法来去除最上面的氧化石墨烯层。

We show that graphene layers can be removed from graphite in a layer by layer manner using reactive oxygen species generated by plasma. However, Raman spectrum suggests that the surface of a fabricated graphene sheet by the etching is oxidized. Careful inspection of the oxidation decomposition process clarifies that oxidation occur only at the top most surface. These results indicate a possibility to establish a procedure that makes it possible to etch graphene layers from graphite with controlling the number of the layers. Our next step is to find a way to remove the top most oxidized graphene layer.