Method and system for graphene formation

Abstract

A system for graphene production includes a plurality of gas sources, a plurality of mass flow controllers, and a processing chamber. The system also includes a plasma source operable, a vacuum pump, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a plurality of computer-readable instructions. The plurality of instructions include instructions that cause the data processor to subject a substrate to a reduced pressure environment, to provide a carrier gas and a carbon source, and to expose at least a portion of the substrate to the carrier gas and the carbon source. The plurality of instructions also include instructions that cause the data processor to perform a surface treatment process on the at least a portion of the substrate and to convert a portion of the carbon source to graphene disposed on the at least a portion of the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for graphene production, the system comprising:
 a plurality of gas sources;   a plurality of mass flow controllers, each of the plurality of mass flow controllers coupled to one of the plurality of gas sources;   a processing chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of mass flow controllers;   a plasma source operable to form a plasma in the processing chamber;   a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the processing chamber;   a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of computer-readable instructions tangibly embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a data processor, provide for graphene production, the plurality of instructions comprising:   instructions that cause the data processor to subject a substrate to a reduced pressure environment;   instructions that cause the data processor to provide a carrier gas and a carbon source;   instructions that cause the data processor to expose at least a portion of the substrate to the carrier gas and the carbon source;   instructions that cause the data processor to perform a surface treatment process on the at least a portion of the substrate; and   instructions that cause the data processor to convert a portion of the carbon source to graphene disposed on the at least a portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a copper foil. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the carrier gas comprises hydrogen. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the surface treatment process comprises an RF hydrogen plasma. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the surface treatment process comprises an RF hydrogen plasma cleaning process. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the carbon source comprises at least one of methane, ethane, propane, or butane. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the carbon source comprises methane. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein providing the carrier gas and providing the carbon source are performed concurrently. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the reduced pressure is less than 500 mTorr. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a ratio of a first Raman peak associated with defects to a second Raman peak associated with graphite is less than one. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the carbon source comprises less than 0.1% of a combined carrier gas and carbon source flow. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the surface treatment process is performed at a pressure less than or equal to 500 mTorr. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the reduced pressure environment includes at least one atmospheric gas. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the at least one atmosphier gas comprises nitrogen.