Patterning 2D materials for devices by mild lithography

2D materials have been intensively studied for almost two decades and are now exhibiting exceptional properties. Thus, devices that integrate 2D materials offer many novel functionalities that will contribute significantly to the transition into an era beyond ‘Moore’. Lithographic methods are key technologies in the context of materials' integration into devices. However, to fully leverage the capabilities of these potential devices, it is vital to keep the integrity of the 2D materials intact and to minimize damage induced by device processing. This requirement is only partially met when employing conventional lithography methods, as they induce structural defects in the delicate materials. We demonstrate that exposing graphene to typical electron doses used in conventional electron beam lithography induces significant defect formation. The defect density is proportional to the electron dose and the structural integrity cannot be fully recovered by thermal annealing. We introduce a novel approach of mild lithography which combines traditional processing methods with a subsequent transfer step of the patterned mask onto the 2D material. We demonstrate that this separation of pattern definition and pattern application allows the lithographic process to be performed without exposing and potentially damaging the 2D material being processed. Finally, as an example relevant in terms of innovative device architectures, we present how the mild lithography approach can be used to achieve ordered arrangements of gold nanoparticles on 2D materials.