Growth of graphene with controlled morphology on an oxide substrate.

Graphene is a mono-atomic honeycomb-lattice of sp2-hybridized carbon. Due to its remarkable electrical, mechanical and optical properties, graphene has become one of the hottest frontiers of materials science since its first extraction reported in 2004. Currently, one of the most promising fabrication routes relies on chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of graphene on metal catalyst substrates and subsequent transfer. Alternatively, graphene can also be grown epitaxially on SiC by annealing at temperatures above 1000 °C. Nonetheless, both processes are not best suited to the current silicon technology because of the high level of contamination and defects introduced into the graphene during the transfer and the applied high temperature, respectively. Direct CVD growth of graphene on an insulator would be the most desirable solution. In this project, we want to explore the CVD growth of graphene directly on an oxide. In order to tackle this challenge, various oxide substrates will be investigated systematically for the nucleation of graphene on their surface. This study will involve experimental synthesis combined with detailed structural, chemical, optical and electrical characterization. Particularly, in-situ techniques will shed light on the ongoing chemical reactions during the synthesis. The ultimate goal is the growth of graphene with a grain size more than 100μm and the fabrication of a graphene device with controlled number of layers.