Localized deoxygenation of graphene oxide foil by ion microbeam writing

Abstract An efficient mask-less production of patterns in insulating foils of graphene-oxide was carried out under impact of 5 MeV alpha particle beams delivered by the Ion Micro Beam system at the Tandetron Laboratory of the Nuclear Physics Institute in Rez (Czech Republic). Graphene-oxide (GO) matrix has been exposed to controlled fluences with the aim of inducing deoxygenation and enhancement of the electrical conductivity in selected areas of the exposed samples. The reported designed patterns and their sharp edge profiles demonstrate the feasibility of the process. The compositional changes in the exposed areas of the GO were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, elastic recoil detection analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and correlated with the electrical properties measured by a standard 2-point probe technique.