Enhancing Growth of Multi-Layer Graphene Synthesis on Glass Substrate Though Ni Catalyst Annealing Using Hot Wire in Plasma Very High-Frequency PECVD Method

Abstract

This study synthesized multi-layer graphene on a glass substrate using the high-frequency plasma-enhanced vapor deposition method with a hot wire in plasma. In the growth process, plasma was generated from methane gas (CH4) using an RF power generator at 70 MHz frequency and nickel (Ni) as the catalyst, which is deposited and annealed beforehand. This study aims as a preliminary to obtain optimum parameters for MLG growth using the HW IP-VHF-PECVD method. Raman spectroscopy, utilizing a 532 nm laser and an 1800 g/mm grating, detected distinctive D-band, G-band, and 2D-band peaks at wave numbers of 1335.31, 1607.74, and 2660.99 cm−1, respectively, in unannealed catalyst samples. Raman analysis, incorporating the I2D/IG ratio, revealed the presence of multi-layer graphene exhibiting diverse ratios (0.07 – 0.22) and crystal sizes (15.62 – 20.70 nm). SEM analysis demonstrated enhanced homogeneity in grain size and uniformity in thickness following Ni catalyst annealing. EDS confirmed the successful growth of graphene with carbon identified as the primary element. The annealing process at 400 °C for two hours resulted in graphene with a higher mass percentage and a more significant percentage of carbon atoms. These findings underscore the potential of the HW IP-VHF-PECVD method for producing multi-layer graphene, particularly in the context of solar cell applications, with further optimization of parameters.