Surface Chemistry Involved in Epitaxy of Graphene on 3C-SiC(111)/Si(111)

Shunsuke Abe,Hirokazu Fukidome,Hiroyuki Handa,Maki Suemitsu,Ryota Takahashi,Kei Imaizumi

doi:10.1007/s11671-010-9731-x

Shunsuke Abe, Hirokazu Fukidome + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11671-010-9731-x

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Abstract

Surface chemistry involved in the epitaxy of graphene by sublimating Si atoms from the surface of epitaxial 3C-SiC(111) thin films on Si(111) has been studied. The change in the surface composition during graphene epitaxy is monitored by in situ temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy using deuterium as a probe (D2-TPD) and complementarily by ex situ Raman and C1s core-level spectroscopies. The surface of the 3C-SiC(111)/Si(111) is Si-terminated before the graphitization, and it becomes C-terminated via the formation of C-rich (6√3 × 6√3)R30° reconstruction as the graphitization proceeds, in a similar manner as the epitaxy of graphene on Si-terminated 6H-SiC(0001) proceeds.

Highlights

Graphene, a single layer of sp2-bonded carbon, has fabulous electronic, mechanical, and optical properties [1]
The surface of the 3C-SiC(111)/Si(111) is Si-terminated before the graphitization, and it becomes C-terminated via the formation of C-rich (6H3 9 6H3)R30° reconstruction as the graphitization proceeds, in a similar manner as the epitaxy of graphene on Si-terminated 6H-SiC(0001) proceeds
We have been investigating the use of SiC thin films on Si substrates, instead of SiC bulk crystals, in the formation of graphene

Summary

Introduction

A single layer of sp2-bonded carbon, has fabulous electronic, mechanical, and optical properties [1]. The change in the surface composition during graphene epitaxy is monitored by in situ temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy using deuterium as a probe (D2-TPD) and complementarily by ex situ Raman and C1s core-level spectroscopies. In the case of epitaxial graphene formation on Si-face 4H- or 6H-SiC(0001) substrates, several groups [2–4] have reported that graphene (1 9 1) is formed after the appearance of two SiC reconstructions: (H3 9 H3)R30° and (6H3 9 6H3)R30° in this order.

Results

Conclusion