Title:Graphene Etching: How Could It Be Etched?
VOLUME: 2 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Phuong V. Pham*
Affiliation:SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440- 746, Republic of Korea and Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919
Keywords:Atomic layer etching (ALE), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), graphene etching, inductively coupled plasma
(ICP), ion beam, neutral beam, plasma, reactive ion etching (RIE).
Abstract:Background: A new nanomaterial species called “graphene” has been of great interest owing
to its outstanding mechanical, thermal, chemistry, and physical characteristics. The etching either
directly from chemical vapor deposition growth process or plasma technology process has been
emerging as attracting research topic in achieving the thinner graphene layer and cleaner surface in
order to improve their electronics and optoelectronics. The resided impurities and the high roughness
surface are because of the nature of graphenes induced in deteriorating the performance. Removal of
the impurities by surface cleaning or plasma-related graphene etching through the layer-by-layer thinning
method as a top-down lithography. In particular, new plasma-based graphene etching is freedamage
while maintaining its π-binding, which affects its conductivity.
Objective: This mini-review will address the latest progress related to graphene etching technology
based on emerging strategies. From here, it might be adopted in the etching of other nanomaterials.
