Tellurium-assisted growth of large-scale atom-thin insulating amorphous carbon on insulating substrates

Monolayer amorphous carbon (a-C), an atom-thin two-dimensional (2D) carbon amorphous material, has attracted significant attention due to its structural and transport properties. Here, we report a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach for directly synthesizing monolayer a-C films on insulating substrates, achieving high control over their size, thickness, and fabrication. The synthesized films exhibit a complete coverage over a 2-inch wafer, with high uniformity. Our theoretical analysis reveals the critical role of tellurium in promoting the growth of monolayer a-C on the substrate. Moreover, quantum tunneling measurements at liquid helium temperature were conducted on the a-C films, confirming the samples' homogeneity and their insulating behavior. This work provides a promising strategy for direct synthesis of atom-thin insulating amorphous materials and deepens our understanding of quantum phenomena and electronic properties in low-dimensional disordered materials. Monolayer amorphous carbon (a-C) has attracted attention due to its structural and electronic properties, but its synthesis has so far required the use of metal substrates. Here, the authors report the Te-assisted growth of large-scale 2D a-C patterns on various insulating substrates, confirming their insulating properties in quantum tunnelling devices.