DescriptionThis thesis is composed of a review on the rapidly growing field of graphene research and an experimental investigation of a synthesis method to produce high quality graphene on insulating substrates via diffusion of carbon through nickel. The history, synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of graphene and its derivatives are comprehensively discussed in the review. Historical milestones span the first theoretical publication on graphene in 1947 to K. S. Novoselov and A. K. Geim’s groundbreaking discovery in 2004. A variety of physical and chemical synthesis techniques have been discovered, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Several forms of microscopy and spectroscopy have been utilized to realize the material’s exceptional structural, electronic, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Together, these qualities have justified graphene thin films’ capability to be integrated into a widespread collection of electronic devices. The objective of the experimental section is to explore a novel synthesis procedure entailing the spin coating of a carbon solution onto a thermally evaporated 40 nm layer of nickel on a SiO2/Si substrate. The samples were annealed at 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, or 400°C for 4 hours to initiate the diffusion of carbon through the metal and deposition onto the substrate. Etching of the metal and excess carbon source material took place in a 5:1 HCl and HNO3 solution. Distinctive D, G, and 2D peaks at around 1350 cm-1, 1580 cm-1, and 2700 cm-1 in the Raman spectra indicated the material was graphitic, but an increasing slope in the Raman shift suggested that the nickel layer was still present. 2D/G integrated intensity area ratios showed a peak somewhere between 100° and 150°C, which implied an ideal growth temperature within that range. D/G area ratios exhibited unexpected and questionable behavior. Despite these inconclusive results, a recent paper by Kwak et al proposing a similar growth method did in fact prove that high quality few layer graphene sheets can be successfully produced via this technique. A brief review of that paper is included.