Carbon-Nickel Interface Dynamics During Physical Vapor Deposition

Interface dynamics play a crucial role in Nickel catalyzed fabrication of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanowires and graphene. Interface dynamics are studied by deposition of atomic C on Ni at temperatures of 23–550°C. The obtained films are characterized by transition electron microscopy, Raman-spectroscopy, nuclear reaction analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Bulk diffusion and solubility are found negligible in the present experiments leaving surface diffusion as the main graphitization mechanism. The presented process may open new avenues for the fabrication of graphene on Ni at low temperatures (< 300°C).