Atmospheric pressure growth and optimization of graphene using liquid-injection chemical vapor deposition

Here we present a method to grow graphene on polycrystalline Cu and Ni foils by an atmospheric pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition process using liquid precursors. A syringe injection system is used to deliver the precursor into a horizontal tube furnace. Precise control over the injection rate and amount allow us to regulate the amount of active species taking part in graphene growth. The common aromatic solvent toluene is used to produce large area monolayer and few-layer graphene films on Cu and Ni, respectively. A parametric study of various growth parameters reveals that the graphene growth proceeds rapidly and that its quality depends strongly on the amount of hydrogen and injection rate of solvent. Our study highlights the feasibility of large-scale graphene growth using liquid precursors via precise control of the rate and amount of hydrocarbon injected, without the need for expensive vacuum pumps. Furthermore, our method has the potential to be extended to making doped graphene films by choosing the appropriate precursors.