Abstract
The synthesis of wafer-scale single crystal graphene remains a challenge toward the utilization of its intrinsic properties in electronics. Until now, the large-area chemical vapor deposition of graphene has yielded a polycrystalline material, where grain boundaries are detrimental to its electrical properties. Here, we study the physicochemical mechanisms underlying the nucleation and growth kinetics of graphene on copper, providing new insights necessary for the engineering synthesis of wafer-scale single crystals. Graphene arises from the crystallization of a supersaturated fraction of carbon-adatom species, and its nucleation density is the result of competition between the mobility of the carbon-adatom species and their desorption rate. As the energetics of these phenomena varies with temperature, the nucleation activation energies can span over a wide range (1-3 eV) leading to a rational prediction of the individual nuclei size and density distribution. The growth-limiting step was found to be the attachment of carbon-adatom species to the graphene edges, which was independent of the Cu crystalline orientation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3614-3623 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | ACS Nano |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 24 2012 |
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Keywords
- 2D nanomaterial
- chemical vapor deposition
- graphene
- large-area optoelectronics
- nucleation and growth
- surface catalysis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Engineering(all)
- Materials Science(all)
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
Activation energy paths for graphene nucleation and growth on Cu. / Kim, Hokwon; Mattevi, Cecilia; Calvo, M. Reyes; Oberg, Jenny C.; Artiglia, Luca; Agnoli, Stefano; Hirjibehedin, Cyrus F.; Chhowalla, Manish; Saiz, Eduardo.
In: ACS Nano, Vol. 6, No. 4, 24.04.2012, p. 3614-3623.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Activation energy paths for graphene nucleation and growth on Cu
AU - Kim, Hokwon
AU - Mattevi, Cecilia
AU - Calvo, M. Reyes
AU - Oberg, Jenny C.
AU - Artiglia, Luca
AU - Agnoli, Stefano
AU - Hirjibehedin, Cyrus F.
AU - Chhowalla, Manish
AU - Saiz, Eduardo
PY - 2012/4/24
Y1 - 2012/4/24
N2 - The synthesis of wafer-scale single crystal graphene remains a challenge toward the utilization of its intrinsic properties in electronics. Until now, the large-area chemical vapor deposition of graphene has yielded a polycrystalline material, where grain boundaries are detrimental to its electrical properties. Here, we study the physicochemical mechanisms underlying the nucleation and growth kinetics of graphene on copper, providing new insights necessary for the engineering synthesis of wafer-scale single crystals. Graphene arises from the crystallization of a supersaturated fraction of carbon-adatom species, and its nucleation density is the result of competition between the mobility of the carbon-adatom species and their desorption rate. As the energetics of these phenomena varies with temperature, the nucleation activation energies can span over a wide range (1-3 eV) leading to a rational prediction of the individual nuclei size and density distribution. The growth-limiting step was found to be the attachment of carbon-adatom species to the graphene edges, which was independent of the Cu crystalline orientation.
AB - The synthesis of wafer-scale single crystal graphene remains a challenge toward the utilization of its intrinsic properties in electronics. Until now, the large-area chemical vapor deposition of graphene has yielded a polycrystalline material, where grain boundaries are detrimental to its electrical properties. Here, we study the physicochemical mechanisms underlying the nucleation and growth kinetics of graphene on copper, providing new insights necessary for the engineering synthesis of wafer-scale single crystals. Graphene arises from the crystallization of a supersaturated fraction of carbon-adatom species, and its nucleation density is the result of competition between the mobility of the carbon-adatom species and their desorption rate. As the energetics of these phenomena varies with temperature, the nucleation activation energies can span over a wide range (1-3 eV) leading to a rational prediction of the individual nuclei size and density distribution. The growth-limiting step was found to be the attachment of carbon-adatom species to the graphene edges, which was independent of the Cu crystalline orientation.
KW - 2D nanomaterial
KW - chemical vapor deposition
KW - graphene
KW - large-area optoelectronics
KW - nucleation and growth
KW - surface catalysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860356363&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84860356363&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/nn3008965
DO - 10.1021/nn3008965
M3 - Article
VL - 6
SP - 3614
EP - 3623
JO - ACS Nano
JF - ACS Nano
SN - 1936-0851
IS - 4
ER -