Large-area graphene single crystals grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of methane on copper.

Graphene single crystals with dimensions of up to 0.5 mm on a side were grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition in copper-foil enclosures using methane as a precursor. Low-energy electron microscopy analysis showed that the large graphene domains had a single crystallographic orientation, with an occasional domain having two orientations. Raman spectroscopy revealed the graphene single crystals to be uniform monolayers with a low D-band intensity. The electron mobility of graphene films extracted from field-effect transistor measurements was found to be higher than 4000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at room temperature.