Multilayer graphene films grown by molecular beam deposition

Few-layer graphene films are grown using a Molecular Beam Deposition (MBD) technique in ultra-high vacuum by evaporation of atomic carbon and subsequent annealing of the samples at 800-900 °C. The graded thickness layers are grown on strip-shaped oxidized silicon substrates which are covered with 300 nm thick nickel films deposited by e-beam evaporation. The thickness of the deposited carbon layers changes continuously from ∼70 Å to less than 4 Å. The relatively narrow optical phonon bands in Raman spectroscopy reveal that good quality multilayer graphene films form on the Ni surface.