Zhang, H.; Grebenko, A.K.; Iakoubovskii, K.V.; Zhang, H.; Yamaletdinov, R.; Makarova, A.; Fedorov, A.; Rejaul, S.K.; Shivajirao, R.; Tong, Z.J.; Grebenchuk, S.; Karadeniz, U.; Shi, L.; Vyalikh, D.V.; He, Y.; Starkov, A.; Alekseeva, A.A.; Tee, C.C.; Orofeo, C.M.; Lin, J.; Suenaga, K.; Bosman, M.; Koperski, M.; Weber, B.; Novoselov, K.S.; Yazyev, O.V.; Toh, C.T.; Özyilmaz, B.: Superior Adhesion of Monolayer Amorphous Carbon to Copper. Advanced Materials 37 (2025), p. 2419112/1-10
10.1002/adma.202419112
Open Access Version
Abstract:
The single-atom thickness of graphene holds great potential for device scaling, but its effectiveness as a thin metal-ion diffusion barrier in microelectronics and a corrosion barrier for plasmonic devices is compromised by weak van der Waals interactions with copper (Cu), leading to delamination issues. In contrast, monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC), a recently reported single-atom-thick carbon film with a disordered sp2 hybridized structure, demonstrates superior adhesion properties. This study reveals that MAC exhibits an adhesion energy of 85 J m−2 on Cu, which is 13 times greater than that of graphene. This exceptional adhesion is attributed to the formation of covalent-like Cu─C bonds while preserving its sp2 structure, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further elucidate that the corrugated structure of MAC facilitates the hybridization of C 2pz orbitals with Cu 4s and 3dz2 orbitals, promoting strong bonding. These insights indicate that the amorphous structure of MAC significantly enhances adhesion while preserving its elemental composition, providing a pathway to improve the mechanical reliability and performance of two-dimensional (2D) materials on metal substrates in various technological applications.