Graphene Induced Surface Reconstruction of Cu

Jifa Tian, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Helin Cao, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Wei Wu, University of Houston
Qingkai Yu, Texas State University San Marcos
Nathan P. Guisinger, Argonne National Laboratory
Yong P. Chen, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University

Abstract

An atomic-scale study utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is performed on large single crystalline graphene grains synthesized on Cu foil by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. After thermal annealing, we observe the presence of periodic surface depressions (stripe patterns) that exhibit long-range order formed in the area of Cu covered by graphene. We suggest that the observed stripe pattern is a Cu surface reconstruction formed by partial dislocations (which appeared to be stair-rod-like) resulting from the strain induced by the graphene overlayer. In addition, these graphene grains are shown to be more decoupled from the Cu substrate compared to previously studied grains that exhibited Moire patterns.

Discipline(s)

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology