Graphene-mediated stabilization of surface facets on metal substrates

G Ananthakrishnan and M Surana and M Poss and JJ Yaacoub and KH Zhang and N Admal and P Pochet and S Tawfick and HT Johnson, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 130, 165302 (2021).

DOI: 10.1063/5.0065107

After Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), faceted structures are routinely observed on a variety of metal catalyst surfaces in the graphene-covered regions. In spite of having its bare surface flattened through high diffusivity and surface pre-melting at high temperatures, the graphene- covered copper surface still presents faceted structures. Using atomistic simulations, we show the role of graphene in the preservation of the faceted surface morphology at the graphene-copper interface, manifesting as a suppressant against surface melting and surface- specific diffusion. The results of our molecular dynamics simulations are consistent with our experimental observations and demonstrate the thermo-mechanical interfacial surface stabilization role of graphene. Our study provides an understanding applicable to most metal-graphene interfaces and is especially relevant to most metallic catalysts for graphene growth by CVD. Understanding the interaction between graphene and the catalyst surface structure is critical for producing ultra-flat and defect-free graphene.

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