A facile mold-free micromechanical method for patterning multilayer graphene by utilizing the difference in interfacial adhesion forces

We report a method to pattern graphene on silicon dioxide by a physical process utilizing its inter-facial properties with metal, silicon dioxide and polymer photoresist. The process utilizes the difference in adhesion energies of various interfaces between these materials with graphene. The mechanical forces involved in this process are strong enough to pattern multiple layers of graphene at once. As the sacrificial patterning layer is in flush contact with graphene, the process does not suffer from residual layers at the undesired sites, as in polymer-based stamp transfer techniques. We have calculated the adhesion energies of these interfaces using density functional theory (DFT), theoretical estimation and experimental methods using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These observations are in good agreement with each other and defend the feasibility of the proposed graphene patterning method.