Confirmation of the Growth Mechanism of the Buffer Layer in Epitaxial Graphene on SiC

This study substantiates the epigraphene formation theory on SiC, presenting it as freestanding graphene during thermal decomposition epitaxy. It was found that cool down process is responsible for the formation of the graphene buffer layer. Additionally the capping capabilities of the buffer layer have been evaluated using Raman spectroscopy and AFM measurements.