Graphene Microstructure Fabrication by Femtosecond Laser Ablation

We report on the development of a resist-free graphene microstructure fabrication technique using a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser. By coupling the laser into an inverted microscope fitted with a programmable x-y translation stage, we can create sub-micron structures of 2-dimensional materials by using a one-step process of direct-writing laser ablation. This technique also has the advantage that one can observe and adjust the fabrication in real time. Possible applications include the fabrication of graphene nanoribbons and Hall bars for research into quantum confinement.