Graphene Formation by Decomposition of C60

Graphene is formed through the thermally induced decomposition of C-60 in combination with a Ni thin film. After transfer to a SiO2 substrate, optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirm the presence of graphene for films of C-60 buried under nickel or alternatively for C-60 adsorbed on a nickel surface. For buried films the graphene thickness is shown to depend on the fullerene dosage, with evidence of domain growth from nucleation sites separated by tens of micrometers. The adsorption of C-60 and the changes arising from annealing are also monitored using scanning tunneling microscopy. We relate out results to previous stsudies of the decomposition of C-60 on nickel and other transition metals.