Graphene Growth Directly on SiO2/Si by Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition

We report the first direct synthesis of graphene on SiO2/Si by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition. Graphene deposition was conducted at low pressures (35 Torr) with a mixture of methane/hydrogen and a substrate temperature of 970 degrees C followed by spontaneous cooling to room temperature. A thin copper-strip was deposited in the middle of the SiO2/Si substrate as catalytic material. Raman spectroscopy mapping and atomic force microscopy measurements indicate the growth of few-layers of graphene over the entire SiO2/Si substrate, far beyond the thin copper-strip, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed negligible amounts of copper next to the initially deposited strip. The scale of the graphene nanocrystal was estimated by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

Automated summary

This study reports the direct synthesis of graphene on SiO2/Si using hot-filament chemical vapor deposition. The results show the growth of few-layers of graphene over the entire SiO2/Si substrate, far beyond the catalytic copper-strip.