Large-Area Synthesis of High-Quality and Uniform Graphene Films on Copper Foils

Growing Graphene The highest quality graphene samples, single-atom-thick layers of carbon, are suspended flakes exfoliated from graphite, but these samples are very small in size (square micrometers). For many electronics applications, larger areas are needed. Li et al. (p. 1312 , published online 7 May) show that graphene grows in a self-limiting way on copper films as large-area sheets (one square centimeter) from methane through a chemical vapor deposition process. The films, which are mainly one layer in thickness, can be transferred to other substrates and have electron mobilities as high as 4300 square centimeters per volt second.