Tunable Graphene Electronics with Local Ultrahigh Pressure

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates precise local tuning of graphene's electronic properties by applying ultrahigh pressure with AFM tips, enabling stable p-doping and improved contact with electrodes at nanometer scales.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of locally doping graphene using ultrahigh pressure, verified by multiple techniques, with potential for nanoscale electronic device tuning.

Findings

Pressure-dependent doping strength allows controlled tuning.

Ultrahigh pressure induces covalent bonding between graphene and SiO2.

Method achieves stable, nanometer-precision doping regions.

Abstract

We achieve fine tuning of graphene effective doping by applying ultrahigh pressures (> 10 GPa) using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) diamond tips. Specific areas in graphene flakes are irreversibly flattened against a SiO2 substrate. Our work represents the first demonstration of local creation of very stable effective p-doped graphene regions with nanometer precision, as unambiguously verified by a battery of techniques. Importantly, the doping strength depends monotonically on the applied pressure, allowing a controlled tuning of graphene electronics. Through this doping effect, ultrahigh pressure modifications include the possibility of selectively modifying graphene areas to improve their electrical contact with metal electrodes, as shown by Conductive AFM. Density Functional Theory calculations and experimental data suggest that this pressure level induces the onset of covalent bonding between graphene and the underlying SiO2 substrate. Our work opens a convenient avenue to tuning the electronics of 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures through pressure with nanometer resolution.