Selecting a single orientation for millimeter sized graphene sheets

R. van Gastel (1) , A. T. N'Diaye (2) , D. Wall (3) , Johann Coraux (4) , C. Busse (2) , F. -J. Meyer Zu Heringdorf (3) , N. Buckanie (3) , M. Horn von Hoegen (3) , T. Michely (2) , B. Poelsema (1)

1 MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology
2 II. Physikalisches Institut [Köln]
3 Institut für Experimentelle Physik
4 NEEL - Quan2m - Interactions modulables dans des états quantiques 2D

We have used Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) and Photo Emission Electron Microscopy (PEEM) to study and improve the quality of graphene films grown on Ir(111) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CVD at elevated temperature already yields graphene sheets that are uniform and of monatomic thickness. Besides domains that are aligned with respect to the substrate, other rotational variants grow. Cyclic growth exploiting the faster growth and etch rates of the rotational variants, yields films that are 99 % composed of aligned domains. Precovering the substrate with a high density of graphene nuclei prior to CVD yields pure films of aligned domains extending over millimeters. Such films can be used to prepare cluster-graphene hybrid materials for catalysis or nanomagnetism and can potentially be combined with lift-off techniques to yield high-quality, graphene based electronic devices.

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

R. van Gastel, A. T. N'Diaye, D. Wall, Johann Coraux, C. Busse, et al.. Selecting a single orientation for millimeter sized graphene sheets. Applied Physics Letters, 2009, 95, pp.121901. ⟨10.1063/1.3225554⟩. ⟨hal-00419269⟩