Graphene growth using a solid carbon feedstock and hydrogen.

Graphene has been grown on Cu at elevated temperatures with different carbon sources (gaseous hydrocarbons and solids such as polymers); however the detailed chemistry occurring at the Cu surface is not yet known. Here, we explored the possibility of obtaining graphene using amorphous-carbon thin films, without and with hydrogen gas added. Graphene is formed only in the presence of H(2)(g), which strongly suggests that gaseous hydrocarbons and/or their intermediates are what yield graphene on Cu through the reaction of H(2)(g) and the amorphous carbon. The large area, uniform monolayer graphene obtained had electron and hole mobilities of 2520 and 2050 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively.