title: Introducing carbon diffusion barriers for uniform, high-quality graphene growth from solid sources.
abstract: Carbon diffusion barriers are introduced as a general and simple method to prevent premature carbon dissolution and thereby to significantly improve graphene formation from the catalytic transformation of solid carbon sources. A thin Al2O3 barrier inserted into an amorphous-C/Ni bilayer stack is demonstrated to enable growth of uniform monolayer graphene at 600 °C with domain sizes exceeding 50 μm, and an average Raman D/G ratio of <0.07. A detailed growth rationale is established via in situ measurements, relevant to solid-state growth of a wide range of layered materials, as well as layer-by-layer control in these systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB3 0FA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weatherup
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baehtz
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dlubak
authors.forename: Bernhard C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: Piran R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kidambi
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blume
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schloegl
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003460:Crystallization; D004058:Diffusion; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D006108:Graphite; D009532:Nickel; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
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