Synthesis of ultra-thin carbon layers on SiC substrate by ion implantation

Direct synthesis of uniform thickness and large-size monolayer or multilayer graphene films on insulating/semiconducting substrates are desirable for future nanoelectronics. In this work, ion implantation technique is used to produce ultra-thin carbon layers directly on the (0001) Si-face of a 6H-silicon carbide surface. C ions are implanted in Siface of SiC followed by thermal annealing. Upon cooling, C atoms, either implanted or supplied by the substrate, segregate to the surface and self-assemble into thin carbon layers. Compared with by thermal decomposition to grow epitaxial graphene on SiC, the ion implantation-annealing method requires much lower graphitization temperature. To understand the growth mechanism, a characterization of our thin carbon layers has been performed using comprehensive structural and chemical analyses. This synthesis method is promising for industrial production, deserving considerable attention in the future. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.