A Raman imaging study of growth process of few-layer epitaxial graphene on vicinal 6H–SiC

• Published in: Diamond and related materials Vol. 25; pp. 80 - 83
• Main Authors: Kamoi, Susumu, Kisoda, Kenji, Hasuike, Noriyuki, Harima, Hiroshi, Morita, Kouhei, Tanaka, Satoru, Hashimoto, Akihiro, Hibino, Hiroki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Compressive properties; Confocal; Confocal Raman spectroscopy; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Epitaxial graphene; Epitaxial growth; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Graphene; Imaging; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Monolayers; Physics; Raman imaging; Silicon carbide; Specific materials; Strain; Theory and models of film growth; Vicinal SiC; Epitaxial graphene; Confocal Raman spectroscopy; Raman imaging; Vicinal SiC; Epitaxial layers; Epitaxy; Raman spectroscopy; Spectral line shift; Compressive stress; Frequency shift; Silicon carbide; Graphene; Imaging; Monolayers; Growth mechanism
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2012.02.017

Few-layer epitaxial graphenes grown on vicinal 6H–SiC (0001) were characterized by confocal Raman imaging. In the beginning of the growth, the surface of SiC substrate was covered with monolayer graphene. Next, few-layer graphenes started to grow toward directions perpendicular to [11–20] of the SiC substrate. The shift in the G-peak was not straightforward with the increase in number of graphene layers. This result can be interpreted that the in-plane compressive stress from the substrate depends on the domain size of graphene. The 2D-peak frequency shifted to higher frequency side due to strong compressive strain from the substrate with increasing of the growth times. ► The surface of SiC substrate was covered with monolayer graphene in the beginning of the growth. ► Few-layer graphenes started to grow toward directions perpendicular to [11–20] of SiC. ► The shift in the G-peak was not straightforward with the increase in number of graphene layers. ► The 2D-peak frequency shifted to higher frequency side due to strong compressive strain from the substrate.