| AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Applied Surface Science | Monday Sessions |
| Session AS+BI-MoM |
| Session: | Organic Depth Profiling |
| Presenter: | BJ. Tyler, National Physical Laboratory, UK |
| Authors: | BJ. Tyler, National Physical Laboratory, UK A.J. Pollard, National Physical Laboratory, UK I.S. Gilmore, National Physical Laboratory, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Under ambient conditions, the surface of graphene is contaminated with a range of organic compounds. These compounds include both those that derive from the production of the graphene, such as photo-resists and transfer agents, and adventitious organic compounds that adsorb rapidly to the high energy graphene surface. The ability to remove and control this contamination layer without damaging the graphene is crucial to reproducible production of graphene devices as well as in fundamental studies of graphene properties. In this study, we have investigated cleaning of HOPG and graphene surfaces via heating in vacuum and sputtering with Argon Gas Clusters. Common adventitious organic contaminants have been identified via temperature programmed SIMS experiments and include fatty acids and their fatty acid amides, as well as PAHs and siloxanes. While contamination with siloxanes can be avoided with careful handling, adsorption of fatty acids and amides is virtually instantaneous upon exposure to the ambient environment. Damage to the graphene layer via the sputtering process has been assessed via micro-Raman analysis. Formation of defects due to sputtering with Argon Gas Clusters is dependent on the cluster size, impact energy and ion fluence. An impact energy of less than 1eV per atom in the cluster is needed to minimize defect formation. Optimized conditions for sputter profiling these organic overlayers without damaging the underlying graphene will be presented.