Graphenes Converted from Polymers

Because the direct formation of large, patterned graphene layers on active electronic devices without any physical transfer process is an ultimate important research goal for practical applications, we first developed a cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable process to form graphene films from solution-processed common polymers directly on a SiO2/Si substrate. We obtained few-layer graphene by heating the thin polymer films covered with a metal capping layer in a high-temperature furnace under low vacuum in an Ar/H-2 atmosphere. We find that the metal capping layer appears to have two functions: prevention of vaporization of dissociated molecules and catalysis of graphene formation. We suggest that polymer-derived graphene growth directly on inert substrates in active electronic devices will have great advantages because of its simple, inexpensive, and safer process.