Atomic force microscopy(AFM)-based electrochemical etching of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)surface is studied toward the single-atomic-layer lithography of intricate patterns.Electrochemical etching is pe...Atomic force microscopy(AFM)-based electrochemical etching of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)surface is studied toward the single-atomic-layer lithography of intricate patterns.Electrochemical etching is performed in the water meniscus formed between the AFM tip apex and HOPG surface due to a capillary effect under controlled high relative humid-ity(~75%)at otherwise ambient conditions.The conditions to etch nano-holes,nano-lines,and other intricate patterns are investigated.The clectrochemical reactions of HOPG etching should not generatc debris duc to the conversion of graphite to gaseous CO and CO_(2)based on etching reactions.However,debris is observed on the etched HOPG surface,and incom-plete gasification of carbon occurs during the etching process,resulting in the generation of solid intermediates.Moreover,the applied potential is of critical importance for precise etching,and the precision is also significantly influenced by the AFM tip wear.This study shows that the AFM-based electrochemical etching has the potential to remove the material in a single-atomic-layer precision.This result is likely because the etching process is based on anodic dissolution,resulting in the material removal atom by atom.展开更多
基金The authors would like to thank the support received from the Science Foundation Ireland(SFI)(No.15/RP/B3208)‘111’project by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and the Ministry of Education of China(No.B07014)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(No.61635008)This project has also received funding from Enterprise Ireland and the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Inno-vation Programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant(No.713654)from Science Foundation Ireland and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland(SEAI)under the SFI Career Develop-ment Award Grant(17/CDA/4637).
文摘Atomic force microscopy(AFM)-based electrochemical etching of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG)surface is studied toward the single-atomic-layer lithography of intricate patterns.Electrochemical etching is performed in the water meniscus formed between the AFM tip apex and HOPG surface due to a capillary effect under controlled high relative humid-ity(~75%)at otherwise ambient conditions.The conditions to etch nano-holes,nano-lines,and other intricate patterns are investigated.The clectrochemical reactions of HOPG etching should not generatc debris duc to the conversion of graphite to gaseous CO and CO_(2)based on etching reactions.However,debris is observed on the etched HOPG surface,and incom-plete gasification of carbon occurs during the etching process,resulting in the generation of solid intermediates.Moreover,the applied potential is of critical importance for precise etching,and the precision is also significantly influenced by the AFM tip wear.This study shows that the AFM-based electrochemical etching has the potential to remove the material in a single-atomic-layer precision.This result is likely because the etching process is based on anodic dissolution,resulting in the material removal atom by atom.
