Low-temperature-grown continuous graphene films from benzene by chemical vapor deposition at ambient pressure

Abstract

There is significant interest in synthesizing large-area graphene films at low temperatures by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for nanoelectronic and flexible device applications. However, to date, low-temperature CVD methods have suffered from lower surface coverage because micro-sized graphene flakes are produced. Here, we demonstrate a modified CVD technique for the production of large-area, continuous monolayer graphene films from benzene on Cu at 100–300 °C at ambient pressure. In this method, we extended the graphene growth step in the absence of residual oxidizing species by introducing pumping and purging cycles prior to growth. This led to continuous monolayer graphene films with full surface coverage and excellent quality, which were comparable to those achieved with high-temperature CVD; for example, the surface coverage, transmittance, and carrier mobilities of the graphene grown at 300 °C were 100%, 97.6%, and 1,900–2,500 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. In addition, the growth temperature was substantially reduced to as low as 100 °C, which is the lowest temperature reported to date for pristine graphene produced by CVD. Our modified CVD method is expected to allow the direct growth of graphene in device manufacturing processes for practical applications while keeping underlying devices intact.

Matrix assisted low temperature growth of graphene

“…In addition, the preformation of these cyclic carbon ring structures means that the nucleation and coalescence processes that are required to form graphene are energetically more facile than when aliphatic precursors are utilised [45]. The graphene growth mechanism then proceeds via the systematic attachment of these C 6 fragments to the growth front of the monolayer graphene sheets [46]. This proposed mechanism is supported by results for the dechlorination and subsequent graphene formation of hexachlorobenzene on copper foils [47].…”

Experimental and computational investigation of reduced graphene oxide nanoplatelets stabilized in poly(styrene sulfonate) sodium salt

“…It is a one atom thick sheet made of sp 2 carbons arranged in a honeycomb lattice that was firstly obtained by mechanical exfoliation of pyrolytic graphite [8]. However, despite its remarkable properties and variety of applications it is not trivial the production of pristine graphene in large areas, even considering recent advances in chemical vapour deposition (CVD) methods [9] that require high temperatures (300 -500 o C) and expensive equipment.…”

Graphene formation at 150 °C using indium as catalyst

“…For example, Marchena et al have achieved direct graphene growth on exible glass at 700 C. 12 Sulaiman et al and Jang et al demonstrated CVD graphene growth on Cu at 450 and 300 C by using chlorobenzene and benzene, respectively, as a carbon source. 13,14 The ion bombardment of solid surfaces is well-known to entail the formation of nano structures even at room temperature, such as ripples, pyramid, conical protrusions (cones) and whiskers. [15][16][17] So, the ion irradiation has a great potential for the room temperature fabrication of nanostructured materials.…”