Graphene film formation on insulating substrates using polymer films as carbon source

• Published in: Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 94015 - 94021
• Main Authors: Takami, T, Seino, R, Yamazaki, K, Ogino, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 05.03.2014
• Subjects: formation on insulating substrate; graphene; polymer carbon source; Raman spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0022-3727; 1361-6463
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/47/9/094015

Graphene films were formed on sapphire surfaces using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer films as a carbon source and characterized by Raman spectroscopy. For large-scale, uniform growth, a spin-on-glass (SOG)/Cu-catalyst/PMMA/sapphire layered structure was annealed in Ar-H2 flow at atmospheric pressure. We found that the SOG cover layer is effective to suppress evaporation and agglomeration of the Cu film. We also confirmed that morphology and quality of grown graphene films are dramatically improved by hydrogen etching of buried bulky carbon produced by the polymer pyrolysis at the Cu/sapphire interfaces. Quality of graphene films grown at the catalyst-layer/sapphire interface was compared with that on the catalyst surface using Ni/PMMA, PMMA/Ni and Ni/PMMA/Ni layered structures. Quality of graphene films grown at the Ni/sapphire interfaces was found to be lower than that on the Ni surfaces, suggesting that strain engineering at the buried Ni/graphene/sapphire interfaces and/or etching technique to remove the wastes of polymer pyrolysis should be improved.