Crystallographic Etching of Few-Layer Graphene

We demonstrate a method by which few-layer graphene samples can be etched along crystallographic axes by thermally activated metallic nanoparticles. The technique results in long (>1 micron) crystallographic edges etched through to the insulating substrate, making the process potentially useful for atomically precise graphene device fabrication. This advance could enable atomically precise construction of integrated circuits from single graphene sheets with a wide range of technological applications.