In the last decade after graphene isolation in 2004, many methods have been developed for the synthesis of this material. The most used substrates have been metal surfaces, due to their catalytic action, which is helpful for the formation of graphene. However, the coupling of the graphene layer with the metal substrate has become not negligible. The problems upon transferring that can arise from the interaction of graphene with the substrate can be avoided if those interactions are disabled or at least decreased. In this work we describe the efficient and controlled intercalation of oxygen between the graphene layer and copper under ultra high vacuum conditions. We show that this intercalation relaxes the electronic coupling between the graphene and the substrate as has been demonstrated through the different experimental techniques used for the characterization and optimization of the process. LEED, AFM, XPS, Raman Spectroscopy and KPM have been used to understand the structural, chemical and electronic characteristics of the system.
This work is in press in “Oxygen intercalation in PVD graphene grown on copper substrates: a decoupling approach”, J. Azpeitia, I. Palacio, J. I. Martínez, I. Muñoz-Ochando, K. Lauwaet, F. J. Mompean, G. J. Ellis, M. García-Hernández, J. A. Martín-Gago, C. Munuera and M. F. López, App. Surf. Sci. 529 (2020) 147100.