Abstract
Graphene’s excellent physical, electrical, mechanical and passivating properties are revolutionizing the world of nanotechnology. In its beginning, graphene was only used as the conductive channel in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and as metallic electrode in capacitors, but the development of chemical vapor deposited graphene on metal catalysts, together with an ingenious process to transfer it to arbitrary substrates extended the use of graphene to many other applications. The main problem of this methodology is to get a good adhesion between the graphene and the target substrate that ensures both protection and interaction. In this paper, we analyze the capability of graphene to adapt to underlying simple and complex substrates. We observe the important adhesion differences depending on the graphene thickness and the target substrate roughness. We take advantage of graphene coatings to protect different materials from high current densities, mechanical frictions and oxidation. The findings and prototypes here designed may open the way to extend the use of graphene as protective coating.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Novoselov K.S., Geim A.K., Morozov S.V., Jiang D., Zhang Y., Dubonos S.V., Grigorieva I.V., Firsov A.A.: Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films. Science 306, 666–669 (2004)
Gyan P., Michael A.C., Michael L.B., Ronald G.R.: AFM study of ridges in few-layer epitaxial graphene grown on the carbon-face of 4H–SiC. Carbon 48, 2383–2393 (2011)
Alaboson J.M.P., Wang Q.H., Kellar J.A., Park J., Elam J.W., Pellin M.J., Hersam M.C.: Conductive atomic force microscope nanopatterning of epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) in ambient conditions. Adv. Mater. 23, 2181–2184 (2011)
Huang Q.S., Wang G., Guo L.W., Jia Y.P., Lin J.J., Li K., Wang W.J., Chen X.L.: Stable field electron emission of vertically standing graphene films. Small 7, 450–454 (2011)
Yue Y.N., Zhang J.C., Wang X.W.: Micro/nanoscale spatial resolution temperature probing for the interfacial thermal characterization of epitaxial graphene on 4H-SiC. Small 23, 3324–3333 (2011)
Vecchio C., Sonde S., Bongiorno C., Rambach M., Yakimova R., Raineri V.: Nanoscale structural characterization of epitaxial graphene grown on off-axis 4H-SiC(0001). Nanoscale Res. Lett. 9, 6–26 (2011)
Chae S.J., Günes F., Kim K.K., Han G.H., Kim S.M., Shin H.J., Yoon S.M., Choi J.Y., Park M.H., Yang C.W., Pribat D., Lee Y.H.: Synthesis of large-area graphene layers on poly-nickel substrate by chemical vapor deposition: wrinkle formation. Adv. Mater. 21, 2328–2333 (2009)
Li X.S., Cai W.W., An J.H., Kim S., Nah J., Yang D.X., Piner R.D.: Large-area synthesis of high-quality and uniform graphene films on copper foils. Science 324, 1312–1314 (2009)
Suk J.W., Kitt A., Magnuson C.W., Hao Y., Ahmed S., An J., Swan A.K., Goldberg B.B., Ruoff R.S.: Transfer of CVD-grown monolayer graphene onto arbitrary substrates. ACS Nano 5, 6916–6924 (2011)
Yang W., He C.L., Zhang L.C., Wang Y., Shi Z.W., Cheng M., Xie G., Wang D., Yang R., Shi D., Zhang G.: Growth, characterization, and properties of nanographene. Small 8, 1429–1435 (2012)
Stützel E.U., Burghard M., Kern K., Travesi F., Nichele F., Sordan R.: A graphene nanoribbon memory cell. Small 6, 2822–2825 (2010)
Liu W., Jackson B.L., Zhu J., Miao C.Q., Chung C.H., Park Y.J., Sun K., Woo J., Xie Y.H.: Large scale pattern graphene electrode for high performance in transparent organic single crystal field-effect transistors. ACS Nano 4, 3927–3932 (2010)
Liao Z.M., Han B.H., Zhou Y.B., Yu D.P.: Hysteresis reversion in graphene field-effect transistors. J. Chem. Phys. 133, 044703 (2010)
Zhang Y.F., Gao T., Gao Y.B., Xie S.B., Ji Q.Q., Yan K., Peng H.: Defect-like structures of graphene on copper foils for strain relief investigated by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. ACS Nano 5, 4014–4022 (2011)
Lanza M., Wang Y., Gao T., Bayerl A., Porti M., Nafria M., Zhou Y., Jin G., Liu Z., Zhang Y.F., Yu D.P., Duan H.L.: Electrical and mechanical performance of graphene sheets exposed to oxidative environments. Nano Res. 6, 485–495 (2013)
Ahmad M., Han S.A., Tien D.H., Jung J., Seo Y.: Local conductance measurement of graphene layer using conductive atomic force microscopy. J. Appl. Phys. 110, 054307 (2011)
Kwon S., Chung H.J., Seo S., Park J.Y.: Domain structures of single layer graphene imaged with conductive probe atomic force microscopy. Surf. Interface Anal. 44, 768–771 (2012)
Orofeo C.M., Hibino H., Kawahara K., Ogawa Y., Tsuji M., Ikeda K.I., Mizuno S., Ago H.: Influence of Cu metal on the domain structure and carrier mobility in single-layer graphene. Carbon 50, 2189–2196 (2012)
Ismach A., Druzgalski C., Penwell S., Schwartzberg A., Zheng M., Javey A., Bokor J., Zhang Y.G.: Direct chemical vapor deposition of graphene on dielectric surfaces. Nano Lett. 10, 1542–1548 (2010)
Robertson A.W., Warner J.H.: Hexagonal single crystal domains of few-layer graphene on copper foils. Nano Lett. 11, 1182–1189 (2011)
Ando Y.: Lowering friction coefficient under low loads by minimizing effects of adhesion force and viscous resistance. Wear 254, 965–973 (2003)
Shin Y.J., Stromberg R., Nay R., Huang H., Wee A.T.S., Yang H., Bhatia C.S.: Frictional characteristics of exfoliated and epitaxial Graphene. Carbon 49, 4059–4073 (2011)
Tanaka K., Fujii Y., Atarashi H., Akabori K., Hino M., Nagamura T.: Nonsolvents cause swelling at the interface with Poly(methyl methacrylate) films. Langmuir 24, 296–301 (2008)
Park J.K., Song S.M., Mun J.H., Cho B.J.: Graphene gate electrode for MOS structure-based electronic devices. Nano Lett. 11, 5383–5386 (2011)
Liu N., Pan Z.H., Fu L., Zhang C., Dai B., Liu Z.F.: The origin of wrinkles on transferred graphene. Nano Res. 4, 996–1004 (2011)
Duan W.H., Gong K., Wang Q.: Controlling the formation of wrinkles in a single layer graphene sheet subjected to in-plane shear. Carbon 49, 3107–3112 (2011)
Mei H., Huang R.: Buckling modes of elastic thin films on elastic substrates. Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 151902 (2007)
Li T., Zhang Z.: Substrate-regulated morphology of grapheme. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 43, 075303 (2010)
Song S.M., Cho B.J.: Investigation of interaction between graphene and dielectrics. Nanotechnology 21, 335706 (2010)
Lauffer P., Emtsev K.V., Graupner R., Seyller T.H., Ley L.: Atomic and electronic structure of few-layer graphene on SiC(0001) studied with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Phys. Rev. B 77, 155426 (2008)
Brar V.W., Zhang Y., Yayon Y., Ohta T., McChesney J.L., Bostwick A., Rotenberg E., Horn K., Crommie M.F.: Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of inhomogeneous electronic structure in monolayer and bilayer graphene on SiC. Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 122102 (2007)
Lanza M., Bayerl A., Gao T., Porti M., Nafria M., Jing G., Zhang Y., Liu Z., Duan H.: Graphene-coated Atomic Force Microscope tips for reliable nanoscale electrical characterization. Adv. Mater. 25, 1440–1444 (2013)
Lanza M., Porti M., Nafria M., Aymerich X., Wittaker E., Hamilton B.: Electrical resolution during Conductive AFM measurements under different environmental conditions and contact forces. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 106110 (2010)
Lanza M., Porti M., Nafria M., Aymerich X., Wittaker E., Hamilton B.: UHV CAFM characterization of high-k dielectrics: effect of the technique resolution on the pre- and post-breakdown electrical measurements. Microelectron. Reliab. 50, 1312–1315 (2010)
Lanza M., Iglesias V., Porti M., Nafria M., Aymerich X.: Polycrystallization effects on the variability of the electrical properties of high-k dielectrics at the nanoscale. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 6, 108 (2011)
Frammelsberger W., Benstetter G., Kiely J., Stamp R.: CAFM-based thickness determination of thin and ultra-thin SiO2 films by use of different conductive-coated probe tips. Appl. Surf. Sci. 253, 3615–3626 (2007)
Lanza M., Porti M., Nafría M., Benstetter G., Frammelsberger W., Ranzinger H., Lodermeier E., Jaschke G.: Influence of the manufacturing process on the Electrical properties of thin (< 4nm) Hafnium based high-k stacks observed with CAFM. Microelectron. Reliab. 47, 1424–1428 (2007)
Lanza M., Porti M., Nafría M., Aymerich X., Benstetter G., Lodermeier E., Ranzinger H., Jaschke G., Teichert S., Wilde L., Michalowski P.: Conductivity and charge trapping after electrical stress in amorphous and polycrystalline Al2O3 based devices studied with AFM related techniques. IEEE Trans. Nanotechnol. 10, 344–351 (2011)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lanza, M., Wang, Y., Sun, H. et al. Morphology and performance of graphene layers on as-grown and transferred substrates. Acta Mech 225, 1061–1073 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-013-1053-5
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-013-1053-5