The structure and mechanism of large-scale indium-intercalated graphene transferred from SiC buffer layer

Abstract It is reported that indium-coated SiC buffer layer can be directly transferred into graphene layer during low temperature annealing, forming as indium-intercalated graphene (InG). Atomic structures of InG as well as transformation mechanism are investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). InG on top of one-layered intercalated indium (called O-InG) exhibits Moire patterns with period of 3.2 nm, and the atomic arrangement of indium atoms is detected. While, no Moire patterns are observed on InG intercalated by two-layer of indium atoms (called T-InG). Both the two InG regions bind perfectly with the already existing epitaxial graphene (EG), exhibiting as an unbroken sheet of quasi-free-standing graphene layer. This finding provides a simple strategy and benefits to industrial fabrication of large-scale InG with regular SiC steps.