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Substrate considerations for graphene synthesis on thin copper films.

Casey A Howsare¹, Xiaojun Weng, Vince Bojan

¹Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

|March 16, 2012

Summary

Transfer-free graphene growth on copper thin films is challenging due to substrate interdiffusion. Sapphire substrates prove robust for high-quality, transfer-free graphene synthesis, overcoming limitations of silicon-based systems.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Surface Chemistry

Background:

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on copper is standard for large-area graphene synthesis.
Transfer-free graphene processing on thin films simplifies device fabrication.
Previous work showed transfer-free growth on SiO(2), but high-temperature stability is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate high-temperature stability of the copper/silicon dioxide/silicon (Cu/SiO(2)/Si) system for transfer-free graphene.
Evaluate the effectiveness of various diffusion barrier layers (metal and insulating) in preventing Cu-SiO(2) interdiffusion.
Assess the impact of diffusion barriers on graphene quality.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of Cu/SiO(2)/Si and Cu/barrier/SiO(2)/Si heterostructures.

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High-temperature annealing experiments to simulate CVD conditions.

Surface analysis techniques to identify interdiffusion products and assess graphene quality.

Testing of sapphire as an alternative substrate for transfer-free graphene growth.

Main Results:

Significant Cu diffusion into the silicon substrate and formation of Cu-Si-O domains observed, irrespective of barrier layer choice.
Diffusion barriers (Ni, Cr, W, Si(3)N(4), Al(2)O(3), HfO(2)) did not prevent Cu interdiffusion in the Cu/SiO(2)/Si system.
Sapphire substrates demonstrated robustness, enabling high-quality transfer-free graphene synthesis.

Conclusions:

The Cu/SiO(2)/Si system is unstable at high temperatures required for graphene CVD, hindering transfer-free processing.
Diffusion barriers are ineffective in mitigating Cu interdiffusion in this specific heterostructure.
Sapphire emerges as a promising substrate for achieving high-quality, transfer-free graphene, enabling simplified device integration.