title: Rapid epitaxy-free graphene synthesis on silicidated polycrystalline platinum.
abstract: Large-area synthesis of high-quality graphene by chemical vapour deposition on metallic substrates requires polishing or substrate grain enlargement followed by a lengthy growth period. Here we demonstrate a novel substrate processing method for facile synthesis of mm-sized, single-crystal graphene by coating polycrystalline platinum foils with a silicon-containing film. The film reacts with platinum on heating, resulting in the formation of a liquid platinum silicide layer that screens the platinum lattice and fills topographic defects. This reduces the dependence on the surface properties of the catalytic substrate, improving the crystallinity, uniformity and size of graphene domains. At elevated temperatures growth rates of more than an order of magnitude higher (120 μm min(-1)) than typically reported are achieved, allowing savings in costs for consumable materials, energy and time. This generic technique paves the way for using a whole new range of eutectic substrates for the large-area synthesis of 2D materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Vitaliy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Babenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Adrian T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Murdock
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Antal A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Koós
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Jude
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crossley
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holdway
authors.affiliation: Oxford Instruments Asylum Research, High Wycombe HP12 3SE, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moffat
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alexander-Webber
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
authors.forename: Robin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grobert