title: Burning Graphene Layer-by-Layer.
abstract: Graphene, in single layer or multi-layer forms, holds great promise for future electronics and high-temperature applications. Resistance to oxidation, an important property for high-temperature applications, has not yet been extensively investigated. Controlled thinning of multi-layer graphene (MLG), e.g., by plasma or laser processing is another challenge, since the existing methods produce non-uniform thinning or introduce undesirable defects in the basal plane. We report here that heating to extremely high temperatures (exceeding 2000 K) and controllable layer-by-layer burning (thinning) can be achieved by low-power laser processing of suspended high-quality MLG in air in "cold-wall" reactor configuration. In contrast, localized laser heating of supported samples results in non-uniform graphene burning at much higher rates. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were also performed to reveal details of oxidation mechanisms leading to uniform layer-by-layer graphene gasification. The extraordinary resistance of MLG to oxidation paves the way to novel high-temperature applications as continuum light source or scaffolding material.
authors.affiliation: Center for Semiconductor Components, State University of Campinas, CP 6101, Campinas, SP, 13083-870, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Ermakov
authors.affiliation: Center for Semiconductor Components, State University of Campinas, CP 6101, Campinas, SP, 13083-870, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Alaferdov
authors.affiliation: Center for Semiconductor Components, State University of Campinas, CP 6101, Campinas, SP, 13083-870, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alfredo R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física "Gleb Wataghin", Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perim
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física "Gleb Wataghin", Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Autreto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, IGCE, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paupitz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física "Gleb Wataghin", Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Galvao
authors.affiliation: Center for Semiconductor Components, State University of Campinas, CP 6101, Campinas, SP, 13083-870, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stanislav A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Moshkalev