A Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition System for Fast Synthesis of Epitaxial Graphene Under Ambient Pressure

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rapid, cost-effective atmospheric-pressure CVD system that synthesizes high-quality monolayer graphene within 25 minutes, enabling scalable production for electronic applications.

Contribution

The authors designed and benchmarked a fast thermal CVD system for epitaxial graphene growth at atmospheric pressure, reducing time and cost compared to traditional methods.

Findings

Graphene synthesized shows quantum Hall effect signatures.

Growth process completed within 25 minutes with high structural quality.

Demonstrated van der Waals epitaxy of Pd on transferred graphene.

Abstract

Graphene has emerged as a promising material for next-generation electronic and thermal devices owing to its exceptional charge transport and thermal conductivity. However, high-quality samples are predominantly obtained via mechanical exfoliation from graphite crystals, a process that inherently lacks scalability. Despite extensive efforts toward large-area synthesis, cost-effective approaches for producing high-quality, large-area, single-crystalline graphene with fast turnaround time remain limited. Here, we report the design, fabrication, and performance benchmarking of a rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) system capable of synthesizing epitaxial monolayer graphene under atmospheric pressure. The entire growth process, from sample loading to unloading, is achieved within $25$ minutes with a temperature ramp rate exceeding $23^\circ\mathrm{C}/s$. Growth at atmospheric pressure eliminates the need for vacuum components, thereby reducing both system complexity and operational costs. The structural and electronic quality of epitaxial graphene is comprehensively characterized using Raman spectroscopy, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and magnetotransport measurements, which reveal signatures of quantum Hall effect in synthesized graphene samples. Furthermore, we demonstrate van der Waals epitaxial growth of palladium (Pd) thin films on graphene transferred to Si/SiO$_{2}$ substrates, establishing its single-crystalline nature over a large area and its potential as a versatile platform for subsequent heteroepitaxial growth.