Controllable Synthesis of High-Quality Graphene Using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

High-quality graphene was synthesized on Cu foil using inductively-coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICPCVD). ICP is very effective, such that a few-layer graphene could be formed within a few seconds. However, the graphene thickness was gradually decreased by increasing the growth time and plasma power, finally being saturated at a single layer. The graphene quality was also significantly enhanced by the preferential etching of the structurally-disordered C structures, followed by the newly synthesized graphene layer. Understanding ICPCVD growth kinetics, governed by the graphene formation by C atoms and C etching by H atoms, is useful for the controllable synthesis of high-quality graphene for various applications. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.082204jes] All rights reserved.