Abstract
Impurities produced during the synthesis process of a material pose detrimental impacts upon the intrinsic properties and device performances of the as-obtained product. This effect is especially pronounced in graphene, where surface contamination has long been a critical, unresolved issue, given graphene’s two-dimensionality. Here we report the origins of surface contamination of graphene, which is primarily rooted in chemical vapour deposition production at elevated temperatures, rather than during transfer and storage. In turn, we demonstrate a design of Cu substrate architecture towards the scalable production of super-clean graphene (>99% clean regions). The readily available, super-clean graphene sheets contribute to an enhancement in the optical transparency and thermal conductivity, an exceptionally lower-level of electrical contact resistance and intrinsically hydrophilic nature. This work not only opens up frontiers for graphene growth but also provides exciting opportunities for the utilization of as-obtained super-clean graphene films for advanced applications.
Highlights
Impurities produced during the synthesis process of a material pose detrimental impacts upon the intrinsic properties and device performances of the as-obtained product
During the high-temperature catalytic growth of graphene on Cu, the graphene surface becomes simultaneously contaminated due to the generation of amorphous carbon, which has been widely reported to be stable in chemical vapour deposition (CVD) conditions (Fig. 1a)[19]
The competition between the formation of sp[2] crystalline carbon and amorphous carbon during a CVD reaction primarily determines the cleanness of the graphene surface, and this phenomenon has been discussed intensely in academic and industrial settings in relation to the preparation of synthetic graphite and diamond[19,20]
Summary
Impurities produced during the synthesis process of a material pose detrimental impacts upon the intrinsic properties and device performances of the as-obtained product. This effect is especially pronounced in graphene, where surface contamination has long been a critical, unresolved issue, given graphene’s two-dimensionality. The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005 Xiamen, China. Electron Microscopy Laboratory, and International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. Despite recent advances in dictating the grain size and scalability[13,14] in CVD approaches, the growth of clean graphene films by eliminating surface contamination remains a daunting challenge[2]. The growth of metre-scale, super-clean graphene with advanced performances is facilely realised through the continuous supply of Cu vapour, via an ingenious substrate design using alternating stacks of Cu foil and foam
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