Evenly transferred single-layered graphene membrane assisted by strong substrate adhesion

We explored the transfer of a single-layered graphene membrane assisted by substrate adhesion. A relatively larger adhesion force was measured on the SiO₂ substrate compared with its van der Waals contribution, which is expected to result from the additional contribution of the chemical bonding force. Density functional theory calculations verified that the strong adhesion force was indeed accompanied by chemical bonding. The transfer of single-layered graphene and subsequent deposition of the dielectric layer were best performed on the SiO₂ substrate exhibiting a larger adhesion force. This study suggests the selection and/or modification of the underlying substrate for proper transfer of graphene as well as other 2D materials similar to graphene.