Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene on Dielectric Surfaces

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 1542 - 1548
• Main Authors: Ismach, Ariel, Druzgalski, Clara, Penwell, Samuel, Schwartzberg, Adam, Zheng, Maxwell, Javey, Ali, Bokor, Jeffrey, Zhang, Yuegang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 12.05.2010
• Subjects: Adsorption; Catalytic methods; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystallization - methods; Dielectric thin films; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Electric Conductivity; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Gases - chemistry; Hot Temperature; Macromolecular Substances - chemistry; Materials science; Materials Testing; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Methods of nanofabrication; Molecular Conformation; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanostructures - ultrastructure; Nanotechnology - methods; Particle Size; Physics; Specific materials; Surface Properties; CVD; Graphene; nanoelectronics; Atomic force microscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Catalytic reaction; Hydrocarbons; Raman spectroscopy; Precursor; Thin films; Dielectric thin films; Growth mechanism; Chemical decomposition; Copper
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl9037714

Direct deposition of graphene on various dielectric substrates is demonstrated using a single-step chemical vapor deposition process. Single-layer graphene is formed through surface catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbon precursors on thin copper films predeposited on dielectric substrates. The copper films dewet and evaporate during or immediately after graphene growth, resulting in graphene deposition directly on the bare dielectric substrates. Scanning Raman mapping and spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy confirm the presence of continuous graphene layers on tens of micrometer square metal-free areas. The revealed growth mechanism opens new opportunities for deposition of higher quality graphene films on dielectric materials.