Deformation Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Suspended Double-Layer Graphene Ribbons Induced by Large Atomic Force Microscopy Indentation Forces

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation experiments are commonly used to study the mechanical properties of graphene, such as Young's modulus and strength. However, applied AFM indentation forces on suspended graphene beams or ribbons are typically limited to several tens of nanonewtons due to the extreme thinness of graphene and their sensitivity to damage caused by the AFM tip indentation. Herein, graphene ribbons with a Si mass attached to their center position are employed, allowing us to introduce an unprecedented, wide range of AFM indentation forces (0–6800 nN) to graphene ribbons before the graphene ribbons are ruptured. It is found that the Young's modulus of double-layer graphene ribbons decreases as the applied AFM indentation force is larger than ≈3000 nN, which indicates that the stiffness of double-layer graphene ribbons remains constant before exposing them to AFM indentation forces larger than ≈3000 nN.