Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Physical Review Letters
Publication Date
Page Number
265507
Volume
109
Issue
26
Abstract
Asundesirabledefects,grainboundaries(GBs)arewidespreadinepitaxialgrapheneusingexistinggrowthmethodsonmetalsubstrates.Employingdensityfunctionaltheorycalculations,wefirstidentifythatthemisorientationsofcarbonislandsnucleatedonaCu(111)surfaceleadtotheformationofGBsastheislandscoalesce.Wethenproposeatwo-stepkineticpathwaytoeffectivelysuppresstheformationofGBs.Inthefirststep,largearomatichydrocarbonmoleculesaredepositedontoaffiffiffi3pffiffiffi3psuper-structuredCu-Mnalloyedsurfacetoseedtheinitialcarbonclustersofasingleorientation;inthesecondstep,theseededislandsareenlargedthroughnormalchemicalvapordepositionofmethanetoformacompletegraphenesheet.Thepresentapproachpromisestoovercomeastandingobstacleinlargescalesingle-crystalgraphenefabrication.