Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T01:10:20.342Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Metal-catalyzed graphitization in Ni-C alloys and amorphous-C/Ni bilayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2011

Katherine L. Saenger
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Christian Lavoie
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Roy Carruthers
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Ageeth A. Bol
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Timothy J. Mcardle
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Jack O. Chu
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
James C. Tsang
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Alfred Grill
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Get access

Abstract

Metal-catalyzed graphitization from vapor phase sources of carbon is now an established technique for producing few-layer graphene, a candidate material of interest for post-silicon electronics. Here we describe two alternative metal-catalyzed graphene formation processes utilizing solid phase sources of carbon. In the first, carbon is introduced as part of a cosputtered Ni-C alloy; in the second, carbon is introduced as one of the layers in an amorphous carbon (a-C)/Ni bilayer stack. We examine the quality and characteristics of the resulting graphene as a function of starting film thicknesses, Ni-C alloy composition or a-C deposition method (physical or chemical vapor deposition), and annealing conditions. We then discuss some of the competing processes playing a role in graphitic carbon formation and review recent evidence showing that the graphitic carbon in the a-C/Ni system initially forms by a metal-induced crystallization mechanism (analogous to what is seen with Al-induced crystallization of amorphous Si) rather than by the dissolution-upon-heating/precipitation-upon-cooling mechanism seen when graphene is grown by metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition methods.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Geim, A.K. and Novoselov, K. S., Nature Materials 6, 183 (2007).Google Scholar
2. Kim, K.S., Zhao, Y., Jang, H., Lee, S.Y., Kim, J.M., Kim, K.S., Ahn, J.-H., Kim, P., Choi, J.-Y., and Hong, B.H., Nature 457, 706 (2009).Google Scholar
3. Novoselov, K.S., Geim, A.K., Morozov, S.V., Jiang, D., Zhang, Y., Dubonos, S.V., Grigorieva, I.V., and Firsov, A.A., Science 306, 666 (2004).Google Scholar
4. Berger, C., Song, Z., Li, T., Li, X., Ogbazghi, A.Y., Feng, R., Dai, Z., Marchenkov, A.N., Conrad, E.H., First, P.N., and de Heer, W.A., J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 19912 (2004).Google Scholar
5. Yu, Q., Lian, J., Siriponglert, S., Li, H., Chen, Y.P., and Pei, S.-S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 113103 (2008).Google Scholar
6. Reina, A., Jia, X., Ho, J., Nezich, D., Son, H., Bulovic, V., Dresselhaus, M.S., and Kong, J., Nano Lett. 9, 30 (2009).Google Scholar
7. Zheng, M., Takei, K., Hsia, B., Fang, H., Zhang, X., Ferralis, N., Ko, H., Chueh, Y.-L., Zhang, Y., Maboudian, R., and Javey, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 063110 (2010).Google Scholar
8. Saenger, K.L., Tsang, J.C., Bol, A., Chu, J.O., Grill, A., and Lavoie, C., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 153105 (2010).Google Scholar
9. Bol, A.A., Chu, J.O., Grill, A., Murray, C.E., Saenger, K.L., U. S. Patent No. 7,811,906 (12 October 2010).Google Scholar
10. Nast, O. and Wenham, S.R., J. Appl. Phys. 88, 124 (2000); O. Nast and A.J. Hartmann, J. Appl. Phys. 88, 716(2000).Google Scholar