Can a Procedure for the Growth of Single-layer Graphene on Copper be used in Different Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactors?

In the last decade, catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been intensively explored for the growth of single-layer graphene (SLG). Despite the scattering of guidelines and procedures, variables such as the surface texture/chemistry of catalyst metal foils, carbon feedstock, and growth process parameters have been well-scrutinized. Still, questions remain on how best to standardize the growth procedure. The possible correlation of procedures between different CVD setups is an example. Here, two thermal CVD reactors were explored to grow graphene on Cu foil. The design of these setups was entirely distinct, one being a showerhead cold-wall type, whereas the other represented the popular tubular hot-wall type. Upon standardizing the Cu foil surface, it was possible to develop a procedure for cm(2)-scale SLG growth that differed only by the carrier gas flow rate used in the two reactors.

Automated summary

By studying two different types of thermal CVD reactors, a procedure for growing SLG on a cm(2)-scale was successfully developed after standardizing the copper foil surface.