Controlled synthesis and characterization of multilayer graphene films on the C‐face of silicon carbide

Abstract

Achieving the controlled and large‐area synthesis of multilayer graphene on SiC(000–1) surfaces is still an ongoing challenge. Here, we present systematical results on the growth of multilayer thick graphene films on the C‐face of SiC by employing an adaptation of the so‐called confinement controlled sublimation method. Practical features of the synthesis process, which are very important to attain reproducible data, are discussed in detail. The graphene films were characterized using atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The variation of the growth time allowed for the final average thickness of the graphene coverage to be varied. The synthesized multilayer graphene films offer high structural quality and are continuous over large areas. Strikingly, the results show that although the initial quality of the substrate surface does not impact the defect density in the graphene layers, it seems to directly affect the stacking arrangement of the adjacent graphene layers, which in turn, influence their electronic (de)coupling.