Chemical Vapour Deposition: The process
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is the only bottom-up production method for graphene which
is used in an industrial environment.
Here, carbon containing gases, such as methane, are brought in contact with a metal surface under high temperatures (1000°C) and high pressure. Subsequently, the graphene honeycomb structure is formed on the metal substrate which serves as a catalyst.
Advantages and drawbacks
Even though the quality of the so produced graphene is high, being mostly SLG graphene with very little functional groups or defects, this production method has some drawbacks.
Firstly, current industrial technology is still limited in the size of the graphene surface and quantity produced. Secondly, the obtained graphene needs to be transfered from the metal surface to the target substrate.
Finally, methods commonly used involve wet chemical transfer processes that can deteriorate the product. Nowadays, a lot of research is still focused on improving these techniques.
What to remember about the CVD process?
Graphene obtained by Chemical Vapor Deposition shows very good properties, it is however limited in size and versatility. Its integraton into specific applications is still very challenging. Today, this method is mainly used in microelectronics.