Graphene growth by metal etching on Ru(0001)

Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) reveals a new mode of graphene growth on Ru(0001) in which Ru atoms from a step edge are injected under a growing graphene sheet. The injected atoms can form under-graphene islands, or incorporate into the topmost Ru layer, thereby increasing its density and forming dislocation networks. Density functional calculations imply that Ru islands nucleated between the graphene layer and the substrate are energetically stable; scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals that dislocation networks exist near step edges.