In situ scanning electron microscopy of graphene growth on polycrystalline Ni substrate

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is shown to be capable of imaging a monolayer of graphene, and is employed to observe in situ the graphene growth process by segregation of bulk-dissolved carbon on a polycrystalline nickel surface. Because of a wide field of view, SEM could easily track the rapid graphene growth induced by carbon segregation. Monolayer graphene extended on (111)- and (011)-oriented nickel grains, but was excluded from the (001) grains. This is due to the difference in carbon-nickel binding energy among these crystalline faces. This work proves the usefulness of in situ SEM imaging for the investigation of large area graphene growth.