Growth of epitaxial graphene: Theory and experiment

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physrep.2014.03.003
• Publication Date: 2014-04-24T04:34:03Z
• Authors: H. Tetlow; J. Posthuma de Boer; I.J. Ford; D.D. Vvedensky; J. Coraux; L. Kantorovich
• Keywords: Condensed Matter - Materials Science; metal; Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; growth; graphene; Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci); FOS: Physical sciences; rate equations; [CHIM.CATA]Chemical Sciences/Catalysis; [CHIM.MATE]Chemical Sciences/Material chemistry; 02 engineering and technology; CVD; sublimation; segregation; DFT; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-COMP-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Computational Physics [physics.comp-ph]; silicon carbide; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); [PHYS.COND.CM-MS]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; structure; 0210 nano-technology

A detailed review of the literature for the last 5-10 years on epitaxial growth of graphene is presented. Both experimental and theoretical aspects related to growth on transition metals and on silicon carbide are thoroughly reviewed. Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of growth on all these materials, where possible, are discussed. To make this text useful for a wider audience, a range of important experimental techniques that have been used over the last decade to grow (e.g. CVD, TPG and segregation) and characterize (STM, LEEM, etc.) graphene are reviewed, and a critical survey of the most important theoretical techniques is given. Finally, we critically discuss various unsolved problems related to growth and its mechanism which we believe require proper attention in future research.