Graphene device and method of fabricating a graphene device

1 . A method of fabricating a graphene-based solid-state device, the method including the following steps:

disposing a graphene layer on a substrate;

depositing a first layer of a sacrificial material on the graphene layer,

the first layer of a sacrificial material being made of a first oxide dielectric material;

patterning the graphene layer by defining at least one channel region, wherein

the patterning is done by applying a lithographic process followed by an etching process;

depositing a second layer of a sacrificial material on a stacked structure,

the second layer of a sacrificial material being made of a second oxide dielectric material different of the first oxide dielectric material of which the first layer of a sacrificial material is made; and wherein

the selectivity to at least one etchant of the first oxide dielectric material is different from the selectivity to said at least one etchant of the second oxide dielectric material;

defining contact areas on which metal will be subsequently deposited;

etching away portions of the second and first layers of sacrificial material, thus defining hollow portions through which graphene areas are exposed, and

in a single deposition stage, applying metal depositions on the defined contact areas.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of a material comprising at least one of the following: glass, quartz, silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), silicon carbide, silicon oxide, gallium arsenide, SiO2/Si, SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, HfO2, HfSiO4, Ta2O5, La2O3, LaAlO3, Nb2O5, TiO2, BaTiO3, SrTiO3, CaCu3Ti4O12, Si3N4, ZrSiO4, Y2O 3 , CaO, MgO, BaO, WO3, MoO3, Sc2O3, Li2O and SrO.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein defining contact areas on which metal will be subsequently deposited and etching away portions of the second and first layers of sacrificial material, thus defining hollow portions through which graphene areas are exposed, are done as follows:

applying a first lithographic process to define preliminary areas in contact with the graphene channel on which metal will be subsequently deposited,

applying an etching process to etch away the second layer of a sacrificial material on the region corresponding to the defined preliminary areas, thus defining hollow portions through which corresponding portions of the first layer of a sacrificial material is exposed,

applying a second lithographic process to define contact areas on which metal will be subsequently deposited, said contact areas comprising as many areas as metallic contacts are going to be deposited, and

applying an etching process to etch away the first layer of a sacrificial material on the defined contact areas on which metallic contacts are going to be deposited, thus defining a hollow portion through which a corresponding graphene area is exposed.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first oxide dielectric material is an inorganic oxide dielectric material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second oxide dielectric material is an inorganic oxide dielectric material.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first oxide dielectric material is selected from the following group: SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, HfO2, HfSiO4, Ta2O5, La2O3, LaAlO3, Nb2O5, TiO2, BaTiO3, SrTiO3, CaCu3Ti4O12, GaN, TaN, Si3N4, ZrSiO4, Y2O3, CaO, MgO, BaO, WO3, MoO3, Sc2O3, Li2O and SrO.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second oxide dielectric material is selected from the following group: SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, HfO2, HfSiO4, Ta2O5, La2O3, LaAlO3, Nb2O5, TiO2, BaTiO3, SrTiO3, CaCu3Ti4O12, GaN, TaN, Si3N4, ZrSiO4, Y2O3, CaO, MgO, BaO, WO3, MoO3, Sc2O3, Li2O and SrO, provided that the second oxide dielectric material is different of the first oxide dielectric material and the selectivity to at least one etchant of the first oxide dielectric material is different from the selectivity to said at least one etchant of the second oxide dielectric material.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterning of the graphene channel is done as follows:

applying a wet etching technique to dissolve the area of the first layer of a sacrificial material not covered by a resist layer, exposing the graphene layer(s) underneath, and

applying a dry etching technique to remove the area of graphene layer(s) not covered by the first layer of a sacrificial material.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterning of the graphene channel is done as follows:

applying a dry etching technique to remove both the area of the first layer of a sacrificial material and the graphene layer(s) underneath.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preliminary area in contact with the graphene channel on which metal will be subsequently deposited is an area on top of the graphene channel.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preliminary area in contact with the graphene channel on which metal will be subsequently deposited is an area at the edge of the graphene channel.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etchant used in the stage of applying an etching process to etch away the second layer of a sacrificial material on the region corresponding to the defined area, thus defining a hollow portion through which a portion of the first layer of a sacrificial material is exposed, does not need to have good selectivity against the first layer of sacrificial material.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etchant used in the stage of applying an etching process to etch away the first layer of a sacrificial material on the defined contact area on which metallic contacts are going to be deposited, thus defining a hollow portion through which a corresponding graphene area is exposed, has good selectivity to the first layer of sacrificial material, so that the first layer of sacrificial material is not damaged.