Direct synthesis of single-layer graphene films on quartz substrate by a nanoparticle-assisted method

Abstract

Matching graphene to semiconducting or insulating substrates is necessary for wide-ranging applications. Although synthesis of high-quality graphene on metal surfaces has gained great success, the transfer process of graphene is quite complicated and may cause defects and contamination. Therefore, the growth of graphene on insulating substrates is very important. Here, a direct synthesis method of single-layer graphene films on quartz substrate via a Cu-nanoparticle-assisted method was reported (N-CVD). The growth rate and quality of graphene on quartz showed a remarkable improvement compared with the conventional CVD process. Localized catalyzation made it possible for large-scale and continuous growth. Furthermore, the graphene glass fabricated by this method showed great performances on electrical, optical and thermal properties, and was proved to be hydrophobic. We designed a 2 cm × 2 cm single-layer graphene defogger, which can remove the fog completely within 10 s with a 30 V input voltage. Briefly, this work aims to present a low-cost, uniform and scalable method for graphene synthesis on insulating substrates.