Lattice thermal transport in large-area polycrystalline graphene

We study lattice thermal transport in large-area polycrystalline graphene, such as the samples grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of carbon on Cu. These systems are composed of single-crystalline grains with a broad range of sizes and crystal orientations, separated by atomically rough grain boundaries. We solve the phonon Boltzmann transport equation and calculate the thermal conductivity in each grain, including scattering from the grain boundary roughness. Thermal transport in the large-area sample is considered in the Corbino-membrane geometry, with heat flowing through a network of thermal resistors and away from a pointlike heat source. The thermal transport in polycrystalline graphene is shown to be highly anisotropic, depending on the individual properties of the grains (their size and boundary roughness), as well as on grain connectivity. Strongest heat conduction occurs along large-grain filaments, while the heat flow is blocked through regions containing predominantly small grains. We discuss how thermal transport in CVD graphene can be tailored by controlling grain disorder.