Abstract
Epitaxial carbon was grown by heating (000 (1) over bar) silicon carbide (SiC) to high temperatures (1450-1600 degrees C) in vacuum. A continuous graphene surface layer was formed at temperatures above 1475 degrees C. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were extensively used to characterize the quality of the few-layer graphene (FLG) surface. The XPS studies were useful in confirming the graphitic composition and measuring the thickness of the FLG samples. STM studies revealed a wide variety of nanometer-scale features that include sharp carbon-rich ridges, moire superlattices, one-dimensional line defects, and grain boundaries. By imaging these features with atomic-scale resolution, considerable insight into the growth mechanisms of FLG on the carbon face of SiC is obtained.
Keywords
SCANNING-TUNNELING-MICROSCOPY; SILICON-CARBIDE; GRAPHITE SURFACE; ATOMIC-STRUCTURE; 6H-SIC(0001); GRAPHITIZATION; IMAGES; SCATTERING; SIC(0001); SHEETS
Citation
PHYSICAL REVIEW B 79, 125411 (2009)
Date of this Version
3-2009
Recommended Citation
Biedermann, Laura B.; Bolen, Michael L.; Capano, Michael A.; Zemlyanov, Dmitry; and Reifenberger, R., "Insights into few-layer epitaxial graphene growth on 4H-SiC(000(1)over-bar substrates from STM studies" (2009). Birck and NCN Publications. Paper 355.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/nanopub/355