Growth of epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) by sublimation at low argon pressure

This manuscript presents a work aiming to optimize a reproducible and controlled growth process of a monolayer graphene on Si-face of SiC (SiC (0001)) by sublimation under low argon pressure, i.e. 10 mbar. This low pressure process is challenging regarding the results in the literature. Various complementary techniques as optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, scanning tunneling microscope, and Hall Effect measurements have been performed on the samples in order to validate the monolayer graphene growth and investigate their surface morphology, their structural and electronic properties. All the results obtained from these measurements confirm the control of homogeneous, continuous and large-size (6×6 mm²) monolayer graphene from our optimized growth process. More than 50 monolayers graphene were produced during this thesis, validating a reproducible process in a prototype furnace developed by Annealsys, local company in Montpellier. The step-flow growth mode which encourages the formation of step-terrace surface structures is obtained under this unclassical growth condition contrary as established in the literature. Moreover, we have investigated the effect of the temperature ramp on the SiC morphology to evaluate the impact of the width of the terraces on electronic properties of graphene. Samples with terraces larger than 10 µm have been obtained allowing original transport measurements localized on only one terrace.Thanks to the reproducibility of our optimized growth process, further characterization studies on epitaxial graphene were investigated. The first carbon layer grown on SiC (0001) is a buffer layer covalently linked to SiC. Then a second buffer layer grows under the first one that becomes graphene. This well-known buffer layer at graphene / SiC (0001) interface has been investigated in this thesis to complete the poor literature on this topic. Statistically buffer Raman signatures have been obtained and compared to the literature demonstrating an inhomogeneous buffer layer. Furthermore, we have developed two graphene transfer techniques aiming to exfoliate graphene layer and leave behind only the buffer layer on the sample surface. The Raman signatures of buffer layer in these two cases (with or without graphene coverage) have been compared. We believe the evidenced evolution could be related to the coupling between graphene and buffer layer. Two major results illustrate this coupling: (i) the Raman signature of buffer layer increases in integrated intensity after the graphene transfer and (ii) two fines peaks are observed only in epitaxial graphene spectra and not in uncovered buffer layer spectra.The last part of this work concerns the electrical properties of monolayer graphene on SiC (0001). Contrary to the typical n-type doping of epitaxial graphene, the low p-type residual Hall concentration observed in our samples has been related to the atmospheric effect. More precisely, the charged impurities deposited on the sample surface could lead to the formation of electron-hole puddles, resulting in an inhomogeneous doping. The potential fluctuation has been estimated by fitting the experimental data using a model of two types of charges. Moreover, we have shown that the doping type change from p-type to n-type under vacuum condition or under UV illumination. This could be explained by desorption of the charged absorbents during the pumping or UV illumination. These results demonstrate the possibility of tuning the electrical properties of our samples by external factor such as UV light.