Paper Abstract

This article introduces a straightforward approach for the direct synthesis of transfer-free, nanopatterned epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide on silicon substrates. A catalytic alloy tailored to optimal SiC graphitization is pre-patterned with common lithography and lift-off techniques to form planar graphene structures on top of an unpatterned SiC layer. This method is compatible with both electron-beam lithography and UV-lithography, and graphene gratings down to at least ∼100 nm width/space can be realized at the wafer scale. The minimum pitch is limited by the flow of the metal catalyst during the liquid-phase graphitization process. We expect that the current pitch resolution could be further improved by optimizing the metal deposition method and lift-off process.

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Subsequently, the metal catalysts, consisting of Ni and Cu, were deposited consecutively using direct-current (DC)-Magnetron-sputtering in a Moorfield Nanotechnology nanoPVD S10A sputtering system and lift-off as outlined in sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2, respectively, see figure 1(c)

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