Probing the structure and chemistry of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride on graphene before and after atomic layer deposition of alumina

The superlative electronic properties of graphene suggest its use as the foundation of next-generation integrated circuits. However, this application requires precise control of the interface between graphene and other materials, especially the metal oxides that are commonly used as gate dielectrics. Toward that end, organic seeding layers have been empirically shown to seed ultrathin dielectric growth on graphene via atomic layer deposition (ALD), although the underlying chemical mechanisms and structural details of the molecule/dielectric interface remain unknown. Here, confocal resonance Raman spectroscopy is employed to quantify the structure and chemistry of monolayers of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on graphene before and after deposition of alumina with the ALD precursors trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and water. Photoluminescence measurements provide further insight into the details of the growth mechanism, including the transition between layer-by-layer growth and island formation. Overall, these results reveal that PTCDA is not consumed during ALD, thereby preserving a well-defined and passivating organic interface between graphene and deposited dielectric thin films.