Chemical vapor deposition of graphene on thin-metal films

Metal foils, particularly copper and copper-nickel alloy, are commonly used to grow large-area crystalline mono- or bi-layer graphene domains and films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. Thin-metal films, which are usually made by depositing metals on various substrates such as single-crystal sapphire, have also been reported as catalytic substrates for high-quality graphene growth. Thin-metal films can also serve as intermediates to grow graphene on catalytically inactive substrates, such as dielectrics for electronic devices. Focusing on the CVD growth of graphene on thin-metal films, we review the history of CVD graphene growth, the growth on different single-metals and alloy thin films, and the reported performance of such graphene in electronic devices. We also comment on current challenges and opportunities for the further development of this field.

Automated summary

Metal foils and thin-metal films are commonly used as catalytic substrates for growing graphene, with thin-metal films also serving as intermediates for growing graphene on catalytically inactive substrates like dielectrics for electronic devices. There have been advancements in the field of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene growth on these substrates, and further development faces both challenges and opportunities.