Low-temperature graphene growth using epochal catalyst of PdCo alloy

Palladium-Cobalt alloy as a catalyst was introduced to realize low temperature graphene growth on glass substrate by using remote RF plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Few layer graphene films were easily formed with high transmittance of 88.8% at temperature as low as 400 degrees C, in good contrast with Ni catalyst in which no graphitic layer was formed at all at the same conditions. High decomposition rate of hydrocarbon gases and formation of nanosize aggregates giving rise to enhancement of carbon incorporation into PdCo alloy and consequently formation of graphene layers at such low temperatures are further discussed with observed Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3665616]