Epitaxial few-layer graphene: towards single crystal growth

We review our research towards single-crystal growth of epitaxial few-layer graphene (FLG) on SiC substrates. We have established a method for evaluating the number of graphene layers microscopically using low-energy electron microscopy. Scanning probe microscopy in air is also useful for estimating the number-of-layers distribution in epitaxial FLG. The number-of-layers dependence of the work function and C1s binding energy is determined using photoelectron emission microscopy. We investigate the growth processes of epitaxial FLG on the basis of the microscopic observations of surface morphology and graphene distribution. To gain insights into the growth mechanism, we calculate the SiC surface structures with various C coverages using a first-principles scheme. Uniform bilayer graphene a few micrometres in size is obtained by annealing in UHV.