Facile electrochemical transfer of large-area single crystal epitaxial graphene from Ir(1 1 1)

High-quality growth of graphene and subsequent reliable transfer to insulating substrates are needed for various technological applications, such as flexible screens and high speed electronics. In this paper, we present a new electrochemical method for the transfer of large-area, high-quality single crystalline graphene from Ir(1 1 1) to Si/SiO₂ under ambient conditions. The method is based on intercalation of tetraoctylammonium ions between the graphene layer and the Ir surface. This simple technique allows transfer of graphene single crystals having the same size as the substrate they are grown on (diameter ≈7 mm). In addition, the substrate can be reused for further growth cycles. A detailed Raman map analysis of the transferred graphene reveals straight lines, in which the Raman peaks characteristic for graphene are shifted. These lines originate from scratches in the Ir(1 1 1) crystal introduced by the polishing procedure. Furthermore, areas with numerous wrinkles exist inbetween these lines, forming a network across the entire graphene crystal. Hence, the initial characteristics and imprints left on the sheet of graphene in terms of strain and wrinkles from the growth process remain after transfer.