Epitaxial graphene on ruthenium

Abstract

Graphene has been used to explore the fascinating electronic properties of ideal two-dimensional carbon, and shows great promise for quantum device architectures. The primary method for isolating graphene, micromechanical cleavage of graphite, is difficult to scale up for applications. Epitaxial growth is an attractive alternative, but achieving large graphene domains with uniform thickness remains a challenge, and substrate bonding may strongly affect the electronic properties of epitaxial graphene layers. Here, we show that epitaxy on Ru(0001) produces arrays of macroscopic single-crystalline graphene domains in a controlled, layer-by-layer fashion. Whereas the first graphene layer indeed interacts strongly with the metal substrate, the second layer is almost completely detached, shows weak electronic coupling to the metal, and hence retains the inherent electronic structure of graphene. Our findings demonstrate a route towards rational graphene synthesis on transition-metal templates for applications in electronics, sensing or catalysis.

Structure of graphene and its disorders: a review

“…However, a large number of defects, including point defects, line defects and adsorption of functional groups, which are formed during the oxidation, vigorous exfoliation and reduction processes are introduced into these assembled graphene films. Epitaxial growth on silicon carbide [306–308] or ruthenium [309] at high-temperatures in ultrahigh vacuum can provide high-quality graphene with a size as large as that of the substrate [310]. However, the produced graphene strongly interacts with the substrate, hindering fabrication of electrically isolated monolayer graphene.…”

Graphene-based ambipolar electronics for radio frequency applications

“…There are many methods to obtain single layer graphene at laboratory, such as mechanical exfoliation via Scotch tape [4], epitaxial growth by thermal desorption of Si atoms from the SiC surface [32], epitaxial growth by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on transition metals [33,34], chemical reduction of liquid suspension graphene oxide [35], liquid-phase exfoliation [36], chemical exfoliation [37], unzipping CNTs [38], etc. Among all these methods, mechanical exfoliation and CVD growth on SiC or metals are most frequently utilized in experiments.…”

Segregation Phenomenon and Its Control in the Catalytic Growth of Graphene

“…图 4 Ru(0001)表面上的石墨烯偏析生长 [57] Figure 4 Segregation growth of graphene on Ru(0001) (a) UHV-SEM image of monolayer graphene on Ru(0001), inset: carbon KLL scanning Auger microscopy image; (b) UHV-SEM of second-layer islands; diffraction pattern of (c) monolayer and (d) two-layer graphene on Ru(0001); (e) in situ microscopy of graphene growth and the schematic of growth mechanism. Reprinted with permission [57] [66,67,29] .…”

“…Reprinted with permission [57] [66,67,29] . 基于这一考量, 我们 [29] 开展了低真空条件下 的多晶金属表面的碳偏析研究, 成功地建立了普适性的 廉价生长大面积高质量石墨烯的偏析方法.…”