Laser-induced growth of large-area epitaxial graphene with low sheet resistance on 4H-SiC(0001)

Abstract Multilayer graphene on SiC is a promising material due to its compatibility with modern electronics technology. Herein, we demonstrate the growth of large-area (~10 × 5 mm2), high-quality (D/G area ratio: ~0.03) epitaxial graphene on 4H-SiC(0001) using a high-power continuous laser with an extremely fast heating rate of 500 °C/s. As the growth temperature rises from 1550 °C to 1780 °C, the number of graphene layers increases from three to more than ten. The obtained graphene/SiC samples are highly conductive, with a sheet resistance of as low as ~0.43 Ω/sq. The high power and fast heating rate of the laser contribute to the formation of large-area and low-sheet-resistance graphene. The high conductivity makes graphene/SiC a very promising material for applications in conductive films. The growth mechanism of graphene and the influence of the structural properties of graphene on the conductivity are also discussed.