Research progress in graphene synthesis by Cn cluster ion implantation

Graphene is a two-dimensional crystal of carbon and has attracted great attention because preparation of large-area and uniform single-crystalline graphene is the basis for scaled application in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this paper, different methods of growing graphene were reviewed and compared, and latest investigations on graphene synthesis on transition metal matrix such as Ni by ion implantation was reviewed. The investigations show that the physical properties of graphene prepared by low-energy Cn cluster ion implantation is significantly influenced by the incident energy, dose, cluster size, substrate type, and thermal processing. The radiation damage in the surface layer of the substrate produced by low-energy cluster ion implantation is characterized by the nonlinear cascade effect, and Cn cluster ion implantation with accurate dose mainly acts as a controllable carbon source provider. The preparation of high-quality graphene requires pre-annealing of polycrystalline matrix to reduce the density of grain boundaries, and critical annealing parameters with fine tuning for cluster ion-implanted samples to manipulation of lateral diffusion and segregation of carbon atoms on the surface of the substrate, to cope with the key point of graphene nucleation. © 2016, Editorial Office of CHINA SURFACE ENGINEERING. All right reserved.