Defect formation in graphene during low-energy ion bombardment

This letter reports on a systematic investigation of sputter induced damage in graphene caused by low energy Ar+ ion bombardment. The integral numbers of ions per area (dose) as well as their energies are varied in the range of a few eV's up to 200 eV. The defects in the graphene are correlated to the dose/energy and different mechanisms for the defect formation are presented. The energetic bombardment associated with the conventional sputter deposition process is typically in the investigated energy range. However, during sputter deposition on graphene, the energetic particle bombardment potentially disrupts the crystallinity and consequently deteriorates its properties. One purpose with the present study is therefore to demonstrate the limits and possibilities with sputter deposition of thin films on graphene and to identify energy levels necessary to obtain defect free graphene during the sputter deposition process. Another purpose is to disclose the fundamental mechanisms responsible for defect formation in graphene for the studied energy range