CVD-Enabled Graphene Manufacture and Technology

Abstract

Integrated manufacturing is arguably the most challenging task in the development of technology based on graphene and other 2D materials, particularly with regard to the industrial demand for “electronic-grade” large-area films. In order to control the structure and properties of these materials at the monolayer level, their nucleation, growth and interfacing needs to be understood to a level of unprecedented detail compared to existing thin film or bulk materials. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has emerged as the most versatile and promising technique to develop graphene and 2D material films into industrial device materials and this Perspective outlines recent progress, trends, and emerging CVD processing pathways. A key focus is the emerging understanding of the underlying growth mechanisms, in particular on the role of the required catalytic growth substrate, which brings together the latest progress in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis and classic crystal/thin-film growth.

Chemical vapour deposition of freestanding sub-60 nm graphene gyroids

“…13,14 Among the various synthetic strategies and 3D assembly approaches, 15 chemical vapour deposition (CVD) has emerged as the most viable route not only to grow highly crystalline 2D material films but also to directly grow covalently bonded, continuous 3D networks of these 2D materials. 1,16,17 For the latter, the CVD approach essentially relies on a 3D template that can be exposed to growth conditions at high enough temperatures to crystallise 2D materials on its surface. Transition metal templates are particularly promising, with catalytic properties that enable the synthesis of highly crystalline graphene at relatively low temperatures.…”

“…Transition metal templates are particularly promising, with catalytic properties that enable the synthesis of highly crystalline graphene at relatively low temperatures. 17,18 While numerous methods to create suitable 3D metal templates have been demonstrated, ranging from commercial metal foams 1 and the sintering of metal powders 4,5 to 3D printing 19 and two-photon lithography, 20 the bottleneck remains 3D template control and accessible sizes/resolution. Typical metal foams have pore diameters of the order of 100 µm, 1 and over such large sizes 3D structures based on mono-or few-(<20) layer graphene are not sufficiently mechanically stable, i.e.…”

Stable, efficient p-type doping of graphene by nitric acid

“…Graphene exhibits remarkable electrical, optical and mechanical properties, 1,2 which may be advantageous for various applications, 3 including electronics, 4 photovoltaics, 5 energy storage, 6 lighting 7 and displays. 8 In particular, graphene is envisaged as an environmental-friendly and flexible substitute for indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent conductor, 9,10 but obtaining low and stable sheet resistances remains difficult.…”

Bolometric detection of terahertz quantum cascade laser radiation with graphene-plasmonic antenna arrays

“…Monolayer graphene, grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) [17,18] was then transferred on top of the arrays and selectively etched in an Oxygen plasma chamber after a second step of electron beam lithography in order to define arrays of graphene squares. Each square has an area = 9 µm 2 shorting the gap between the antennas' arms.…”