Exfoliated graphite flakes as soft-electrodes for precisely contacting nanoobjects

We introduce a simple, clean and reliable method to transfer exfoliated graphite flakes as soft-electrodes for the electrical contacts of nano-objects. The microelectrodes thus produced exhibit extremely well-defined and thin edges and can be placed at any sample location with sub-micrometer precision. The procedure is carried out under ambient conditions and does not require chemical agents. We present electrical characterization of relevant examples including carbon nanotubes, metal–organic MMX nanoribbons, reduced graphene sheets and damaged circuit repair. The quality of the electrical contacts thus obtained is as good as those fabricated with conventional techniques. This technique is particularly relevant for conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies.