Graphene layer formation on a carbon based substrate
A system and method for forming graphene layers on a substrate. The system and methods include direct growth of graphene on diamond and low temperature growth of graphene using a solid carbon source.
1. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for fabrication into an electronic device, comprising the steps of,
providing a diamond substrate;
depositing graphite on the diamond substrate,
converting at least a portion of the graphite into graphene, thereby providing a component for use in an electronic device; and
including the step of growing the diamond substrate on a Si substrate.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising depositing a nickel layer on the diamond substrate, wherein the graphite is deposited directly on the nickel layer.
3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the graphite comprises a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, thereby enhancing quality of the transferred graphene.
4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the graphite 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.
5. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for fabrication into an electronic device, comprising the steps of,
providing a diamond substrate;
depositing graphite on the diamond substrate,
converting at least a portion of the graphite into graphene, thereby providing a component for use in an electronic device; and
including the steps of at least one of (a) converting the graphene with layers ranging from 1-5 and (b) embedding a plurality of the graphene layers, each being between a dielectric layer.
6. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of,
providing a diamond substrate;
forming a transition metal layer on the diamond substrate;
dissolving the transition metal layer into the diamond substrate by an annealing step; and
cooling the substrate to room temperature, thereby forming a graphene layer on the diamond substrate.
7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the diamond substrate is selected from the group of (a) single crystal diamond and (b) UNCD/NCD thin film diamond deposited on a Si substrate.
8. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the transition metal layer comprises Ni.
9. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the annealing step includes placing the diamond substrate in a vacuum furnace with a H 2 /Ar gas mixture.
10. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein an annealing temperature is about 800-1000° C. and the cooling step is performed at a rate of about 30° C./minute.
11. The method as defined in claim 6 further including the step of providing a carbon precursor gas to accelerate graphene growth.
12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the carbon precursor gas comprises an Ar/ethanol gas mixture and the annealing temperature is about 1000° C., thereby growing large grain sizes for the graphene.
13. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein a thickness of the transition metal layer is established such that upon completing the dissolving step the transition metal from the transition metal layer has no trace amount in sub-surface regions of the diamond substrate.
14. A method of forming graphene on a substrate for fabrication into an electronic device, comprising the steps of,
providing a diamond substrate selected from the group of (a) single crystal diamond and (b) UNCD/NCD thin film diamond deposited on a Si substrate;
depositing graphite on the diamond substrate,
converting at least a portion of the graphite into graphene, thereby providing a component for use in an electronic device.