TY - GEN
T1 - Understanding the material removal process and heat-affected zone in nano-metric electro-machining of graphene
AU - Jahan, Muhammad P.
AU - Malshe, Ajay P.
AU - Rajurkar, Kamlakar P.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The fabrication of nano features in different functional materials - such as gold, graphene, carbon nano-tubes, and quantum dots - can open up the possibility of using them more comprehensively in micro/nano electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) applications. This paper presents a feasibility investigation of fabricating nano-holes in graphene with a focus on machining at an atomic scale. The nano-metric material removal mechanism and the formation of a heat-affected zone (HAZ) due to the electro-machining (EM) process are discussed. It is demonstrated that nano-EM in a liquid dielectric medium (n-decane) is capable of fabricating features as small as 3 to 4 nm with a visible atomic arrangement of carbon in graphene. Nano-features of 5 to 6 nm can be machined consistently with excellent repeatability using the nano-EM process. As an electro-thermal machining process, nano-EM generates HAZ and results in the deposition of materials at the edge of the machined nano-holes. The dimensions of both the nano-features and HAZ increase with the increase of bias voltage and pulse duration. Gradual reconstruction of carbon lattices at the edge of the nano-holes, and thus a change in the profile of the nano-holes, are subsequently observed. Finally, it is established that batch mode nano-holes can be machined on a graphene surface using the nano-EM process, thus making the process suitable for scale-up applications.
AB - The fabrication of nano features in different functional materials - such as gold, graphene, carbon nano-tubes, and quantum dots - can open up the possibility of using them more comprehensively in micro/nano electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) applications. This paper presents a feasibility investigation of fabricating nano-holes in graphene with a focus on machining at an atomic scale. The nano-metric material removal mechanism and the formation of a heat-affected zone (HAZ) due to the electro-machining (EM) process are discussed. It is demonstrated that nano-EM in a liquid dielectric medium (n-decane) is capable of fabricating features as small as 3 to 4 nm with a visible atomic arrangement of carbon in graphene. Nano-features of 5 to 6 nm can be machined consistently with excellent repeatability using the nano-EM process. As an electro-thermal machining process, nano-EM generates HAZ and results in the deposition of materials at the edge of the machined nano-holes. The dimensions of both the nano-features and HAZ increase with the increase of bias voltage and pulse duration. Gradual reconstruction of carbon lattices at the edge of the nano-holes, and thus a change in the profile of the nano-holes, are subsequently observed. Finally, it is established that batch mode nano-holes can be machined on a graphene surface using the nano-EM process, thus making the process suitable for scale-up applications.
KW - Graphene
KW - Heat-affected zone
KW - Material removal mechanism
KW - Nano-electro machining
KW - Nano-holes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892766971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84892766971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84892766971
SN - 9781627486972
T3 - Transactions of the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME
SP - 85
EP - 94
BT - 41st North American Manufacturing Research Conference 2013 - Transactions of the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME, NAMRC 2013
T2 - 41st North American Manufacturing Research Conference 2013, NAMRC 2013
Y2 - 10 June 2013 through 14 June 2013
ER -