Transfer-free graphene synthesis on insulating substrates via agglomeration phenomena of catalytic nickel films

Graphene layers were synthesized by annealing amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films on Ni/SiO2/Si(111) substrates grown using pulse arc plasma deposition. Although the graphene layers were formed by catalytic reaction between a-C films and Ni metals, they were observed to be directly on the insulating SiO2/Si substrates with island-shaped metallic particles. These particles presumably resulted from agglomeration phenomena of thin Ni films at a high temperature. We speculated that the agglomeration phenomena allowed the graphene formation on SiO2/Si substrates. It was also confirmed that the particle size and graphene layer thickness depend on the starting Ni thickness.