Large area quasi-free standing monolayer graphene on 3C-SiC(111)

Large scale, homogeneous quasi-free standing monolayer graphene is obtained on a (111) oriented cubic SiC bulk crystal. The free standing monolayer was prepared on the 3C-SiC(111) surface by hydrogen intercalation of a (6 root 3 x 6 root 3)R30 degrees-reconstnicted carbon monolayer, so-called zerolayer graphene, which had been grown in Ar atmosphere. The regular morphology of the surface, the complete chemical and structural decoupling of the graphene layer from the SiC substrate as well as the development of sharp monolayer pi-bands are demonstrated. On the resulting sample, homogeneous graphene monolayer domains extend over areas of hundreds of square-micrometers.