Laser-assisted graphene growth directly on silicon

Controlled graphene growth on a substrate without the use of catalysts is of great importance for industrial applications. Here, we report thickness-controlled graphene growth directly on a silicon substrate placed in a low-density microwave plasma environment using a laser. Graphene is relatively easy to grow in high-density plasma; however, low-density plasma lacks the sufficient energy and environment required for graphene synthesis. This study reports that laser irradiation on silicon samples in a low-density plasma region nucleates graphene, and growth is controlled with laser exposure time and power. A graphene-silicon junction is thus formed and shows an enhanced (1.7 mA) short-circuit current as compared to one grown in high-density plasma (50μA) without the laser effects. Synthesized graphene is characterized by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy to investigate surface morphology and Hall effect measurements for electronic properties. The key aspect of this report is the use of a laser to grow graphene directly on the silicon substrate by ensuring that the bulk resistance of the silicon is unaffected by ion bombardment. Additionally, it is observed that graphene grain size varies in proportion to laser power. This report can help in the growth of large-area graphene directly on silicon or other substrates at reduced substrate temperatures with advanced electronic properties for industrial applications.