Application of tungsten as a carbon sink for synthesis of large-domain uniform monolayer graphene free of bilayers/multilayers

Wenjing Fang; Allen Hsu; Yong Cheol Shin; Albert Liao; Shengxi Huang; Yi Song; Xi Ling; Mildred S. Dresselhaus; Tomas Palacios; Jing Kong

doi:10.1039/C4NR07418A

Application of tungsten as a carbon sink for synthesis of large-domain uniform monolayer graphene free of bilayers/multilayers†

Wenjing Fang,^a Allen Hsu,^a Yong Cheol Shin,^b Albert Liao,^a Shengxi Huang,^a Yi Song,^a Xi Ling,^a Mildred S. Dresselhaus,^ac Tomas Palacios^a and Jing Kong*^a

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^a Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
E-mail: jingkong@mit.edu

^b Department of Material Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

^c Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

Abstract

We have found that tungsten (W) foils can be used for controlling the carbon diffusion within copper (Cu) enclosures to synthesize large-domain bi-/multi-layer-free monolayer graphene via chemical vapor deposition. We have observed that bi-/multi-layer graphene that nucleate underneath the monolayer graphene can be selectively removed by a W foil placed inside of the Cu enclosure. Both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction reveal the formation of tungsten sub-carbide (W₂C), suggesting the role of the W foil as a carbon sink that alters the carbon concentration inside of the enclosure. Consequently, the bi-/multi-layers appear to dissolve. Utilizing this selective removal process, we were able to demonstrate large-domain (>200 μm) monolayer graphene that is free of any bi-/multi-layers by using Cu double enclosures.

Nanoscale

Application of tungsten as a carbon sink for synthesis of large-domain uniform monolayer graphene free of bilayers/multilayers†

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Application of tungsten as a carbon sink for synthesis of large-domain uniform monolayer graphene free of bilayers/multilayers

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