ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the silicon carbide (SiC) Si-face, because most experimental studies have been carried out on this SiC surface termination. It discusses the graphene growth mechanism, mainly for graphene deposition on the SiC Si-face. For instance, high-quality graphene film can be obtained by thermal treatment of silicon carbide SiC. The interfacial structure between the graphene and the SiC substrate is also dependent on the starting surface termination of the SiC substrate. The main difference is that on the Si-face, a buffer layer is formed on the substrate before graphene layer deposition. The chapter discusses atomic Si sublimation in the process of the first graphene layer formation on a pristine SiC surface, namely the zeroth graphene layer growth process. It explores that the Si sublimation after the zeroth graphene layer has been formed. The general sublimation process is a stepped sequence with temperature increase.
