▎ 摘　　要

Graphene is one of the most promising two-dimensional materials for various applications due to its unique electronic properties and high thermal stability. In previous studies, it was shown that when graphene is deposited onto certain transition metal substrates, small molecules, such as O-2, intercalate between the graphene and the substrate and react to partially etch the graphene film when heated to desorb the intercalates. Here, carbon vacancy defects are intentionally formed on Gr/Ru(0001) and their effects on the intercalation of oxygen and the etching of the graphene layer are investigated. Ar+ sputtering with 50 eV ions and a low fluence is used to create isolated single vacancy defects in the graphene overlayer and helium low energy ion scattering are employed for surface analysis. It is found that the defects both ease the intercalation of the oxygen and improve the etching efficiency of the graphene during annealing. Published by the AVS.