Graphene morphology regulated by nanowires patterned in parallel on a substrate surface

TL;DR

This study quantitatively analyzes how nanowire patterning influences graphene morphology, providing a formula and guidelines for nano-structural design to control graphene shape at near-atomic resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a quantitative model linking nanowire parameters and interfacial energies to graphene morphology, with a rule-of-thumb formula validated by simulations.

Findings

Critical nanowire spacing and bonding energies determine graphene morphology.

A formula correlates nanowire diameter, spacing, and bonding energies.

Guidelines for nano-structural design to control graphene shape.

Abstract

The graphene morphology regulated by nanowires patterned in parallel on a substrate surface is quantitatively determined using energy minimization. The regulated graphene morphology is shown to be governed by the nanowire diameter, the nanowire spacing and the interfacial bonding energies between the graphene and the underlying nanowires and substrate. We demonstrate two representative regulated graphene morphologies and determine critical values of the nanowire spacing, nanowire diameter and interfacial bonding energies at which graphene switches between the two representative morphologies. Interestingly, we identify a rule-of-thumb formula that correlates the critical nanowire spacing, the critical interfacial bonding energies and the nanowire diameter in quite well agreement with the full-scale simulation results. Results from the present study offer guidelines in nano-structural design to achieve desired graphene morphology via regulation with a resolution approaching the atomic feature size of graphene.