Matrix assisted low temperature growth of graphene

Single layer graphene has been successfully grown via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) at low temperature by using chlorobenzene trapped in a PMMA polymer matrix as the carbon source. By varying the carbon source temperature, we are able to vary the dominant carbon source from just chlorobenzene to PMMA. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used to characterize the as-grown graphene layer, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to characterize film quality and growth dynamics. Lower source temperatures (corresponding to a chlorobenzene carbon source) result in high quality single layer graphene whereas higher source temperatures (PMMA carbon source) produce disordered multilayered graphene films. SEM imaging reveals that a preferential surface mediated edge growth mechanism for single layer graphene is observed as a function of growth time. This development offers a new methodology for graphene synthesis at low temperatures with implications for the development of printed graphene structures.

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