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Article
High Layer Uniformity of Two-Dimensional Materials Demonstrated Surprisingly from Broad Features in Surface Electron Diffraction
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
  • Shen Chen, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory
  • Michael Horn von Hoegen, Iowa State University
  • Patricia A. Thiel, Iowa State University
  • Adam Kaminski, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory
  • Benjamin Schrunk, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory
  • Thanassis Speliotis, National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos
  • Edward Henry Conrad, Georgia Technology Institute
  • Michael C. Tringides, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Submitted Manuscript
Publication Date
11-5-2020
DOI
10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02113
Abstract

Paradoxically a very broad diffraction background, named the Bell-Shaped-Component (BSC), has been established as a feature of graphene growth. Although the BSC has been present in the earlier literature it has been ignored. Recent diffraction studies as a function of electron energy have shown that the BSC is not related to scattering interference. The BSC is a very strong effect, but its origin is still unclear. Here, additional experiments are carried out as a function of temperature while monitoring changes in the intensity of different spots over the range that single-layer-graphene (SLG) grows. Quantitative fitting of the profiles shows that the BSC follows the increase of the G(10) spot, proving directly that BSC is an indicator of high quality graphene. Additional metal deposition experiments provide more information about the BSC. The BSC is insensitive to metal deposition and it increases with metal intercalation, because a more uniform interface forms between graphene and SiC. These experiments support the conclusion that the BSC originates from electron spatial confinement within SLG and surprisingly it is an excellent measure of graphene uniformity, instead of film disorder.

Comments

This document is the unedited Author’s version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02113. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
American Chemical Society
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Shen Chen, Michael Horn von Hoegen, Patricia A. Thiel, Adam Kaminski, et al.. "High Layer Uniformity of Two-Dimensional Materials Demonstrated Surprisingly from Broad Features in Surface Electron Diffraction" The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Vol. 11 Iss. 21 (2020) p. 8937 - 8943
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/patricia_thiel/186/