Carbon nanotube stabilized single layer graphene cantilevers

We demonstrate a method to fabricate single-layer graphene cantilevers by utilizing multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) stabilizing elements. Cantilevers are produced by focused ion beam milling of suspended graphene with MWNTs on the surface. Stable structures with an aspect ratio of at least 5 can be reliably produced and are found to be considerably stiffer than expected based on the theoretical bending stiffness of a graphene sheet. This process substantially extends the current limits of single-layer graphene cantilever fabrication, facilitating the study of atomically thin membranes and production of previously unrealized nanoelectromechanical systems.