title: Rapid trench channeling of graphenes with catalytic silver nanoparticles.
abstract: We demonstrate trench channeling of mono- and multilayer graphenes with silver nanoparticles with high speed in ambient environment and at elevated temperatures. A silver nanoparticle located at a graphene edge catalyzes oxidation of neighboring carbon atoms, thereby burning a trench into the graphene layer. High-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging reveals that the trench edges are very smooth with a peak-to-peak roughness below 2 nm. We discuss the channeling mechanism and demonstrate that channeling speeds of up to 250 nm/s and the smoothness of the resulting trenches indicate the prospect of a "catalytic pen" for high-precision lithography on graphenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany. severni@physik.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Severin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirstein
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sokolov
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rabe
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012834:Silver; D006108:Graphite