Graphene layer formation on a carbon based substrate

1. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of,

providing a substrate;

depositing a metal layer on the substrate, wherein the metal layer consists essentially of a transition metal;

depositing a carbon precursor on the metal layer;

heating the substrate, the transition metal and the carbon precursor at about 400°-500° C.; and

converting the deposited carbon precursor into graphene on the transition metal.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises Si and the transition metal consists essentially of Ni.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the carbon precursor is one or more polymers.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 further including the steps of heating the substrate and the polymer, thereby decomposing the polymer and forming a carbon rich layer on the transition metal, and cooling the substrate and a carbon rich layer on the transition metal, thereby forming a graphene layer from the carbon rich layer.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 further including a titanium layer disposed between the substrate and the transition metal.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the steps of at least one of (a) depositing the graphene with layers ranging from 1-5 and (b) embedding a plurality of the graphene layers, each being disposed between a dielectric layer.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing the carbon precursor comprises at least one of exfoliating carbon from graphite.

8. The metal as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of depositing the carbon precursor comprises CVD.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the carbon precursor arises from a graphite source and comprises a ribbon-shape with width selected from the group of greater than about W≧1 μm and about 50-100 nm in width, thereby insuring stability of thermal conductivity.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of providing a carbon precursor gas to accelerate graphene growth.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 further including growing a diamond substrate on the substrate consisting essentially of Si.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the metal layer comprises disposing the metal layer directly on the substrate with no intervening layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the deposited carbon precursor comprises:

decomposing the carbon precursor;

forming graphitic carbon; and

converting graphitic carbon into graphene.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein decomposing the carbon precursor includes heating to about 400-500° C. for about 15 to 20 minutes.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein converting graphitic carbon into graphene comprises cooling the graphitic carbon from about 400-500° C. to room temperature at a rate of about 15-30° C. per minute.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein converting the carbon precursor further includes exposing the carbon precursor to a mixture of an inert gas and a gaseous second carbon precursor.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carbon precursor is a solid.

18. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of,

providing a substrate;

depositing a transition metal layer on the substrate;

depositing a polymer carbon precursor on the metal layer;

heating the substrate, the transition metal and the polymer carbon precursor;

providing a carbon precursor gas to accelerate graphene growth; and

converting the deposited carbon precursor into graphene.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the polymer carbon precursor is a solid and converting the solid polymer carbon precursor comprises:

decomposing the solid polymer carbon precursor;

forming graphitic carbon; and

converting graphitic carbon into graphene.

20. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of,

providing a substrate;

depositing a metal layer on the substrate, wherein the metal layer consists essentially of a transition metal;

depositing a carbon precursor on the metal layer, the carbon precursor arising from a graphite source and comprises a ribbon-shape with width selected from the group of greater than about W≧1 μm and about 50-100 nm in width, thereby insuring stability of thermal conductivity;

heating the substrate, the transition metal and the carbon precursor; and

converting the deposited carbon precursor into graphene on the transition metal.