Graphene defects induced by ion beam

The CVD graphene deposited on the glass substrate was bombarded by molecular carbon ions C3+ C6+ hydrocarbon ions C3H4+ and atomic ions He+, C+, N+, Ar+, Kr+ Yb+. Size and density of ion induced defects were estimated from evolution of relative intensities of Raman lines D (∼1350 1/cm), G (∼1600 1/cm), and D′ (∼1620 1/cm) with ion fluence. The efficiency of defect generation by atomic ions depend on ion mass and energy similarly as vacancy generation directly by ion predicted by SRIM simulations. However, efficiency of defect generation in graphene by molecular carbon ions is essentially higher than summarized efficiency of similar group of separate atomic carbon ions of the same energy that each carbon ion in a cluster. The evolution of the D/D′ ratio of Raman lines intensities with ion fluence was observed. This effect may indicate evolution of defect nature from sp3-like at low fluence to a vacancy-like at high fluence. Observed ion graphene interactions suggest that the molecular ion interacts with graphene as single integrated object and should not be considered as a group of atomic ions with partial energy.