Graphene at high bias: cracking, layer by layer sublimation and fusing

TL;DR

This study uses in-situ TEM to observe high-bias effects on graphene, revealing phenomena like cracking, sublimation, and healing, which could enable advanced graphene device fabrication.

Contribution

It provides direct in-situ observations of high-bias induced structural changes in graphene, including layer-by-layer sublimation and self-healing, offering new methods for graphene structuring.

Findings

Cracks propagate from edges leading to gaps or constrictions.

Layer-by-layer evaporation allows controlled thinning of graphene.

Overlapping graphene pieces can heal into a continuous sheet.

Abstract

Graphene and few-layer graphene at high bias expose a wealth of phenomena due to the high temperatures reached. With in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) we observe directly how the current modifies the structure, and vice versa. In some samples, cracks propagate from the edges of the flakes, leading to the formation of narrow constrictions or to nanometer spaced gaps after breakdown. In other samples we find layer-by-layer evaporation of few-layer graphene, which could be exploited for the controlled production of single layer graphene from multi-layered samples. Surprisingly, we even find that two pieces of graphene that overlap can heal out at high bias and form one continuous sheet. These findings open up new avenues to structure graphene for specific device applications.