title: Atomic-scale investigation of graphene grown on Cu foil and the effects of thermal annealing.
abstract: We have investigated the effects of thermal annealing on ex-situ chemically vapor deposited submonolayer graphene islands on polycrystalline Cu foil at the atomic-scale using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy. Low-temperature annealed graphene islands on Cu foil (at ∼430 °C) exhibit predominantly striped Moiré patterns, indicating a relatively weak interaction between graphene and the underlying polycrystalline Cu foil. Rapid high-temperature annealing of the sample (at 700-800 °C) gives rise to the removal of Cu oxide and the recovery of crystallographic features of the copper that surrounds the intact graphene. These experimental observations of continuous crystalline features between the underlying copper (beneath the graphene islands) and the surrounding exposed copper areas revealed by high-temperature annealing demonstrates the impenetrable nature of graphene and its potential application as a protective layer against corrosion.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States. jwcho@anl.gov
authors.forename: Jongweon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jifa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Helin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qingkai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Esmeralda N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Yitamben
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guest
authors.forename: Yong P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nathan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Guisinger
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006244:Hardness; D006358:Hot Temperature; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D006108:Graphite; D003300:Copper