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arXiv · 1412.8680

Multilayer graphene, Moir\'e patterns, grain boundaries and defects identified by scanning tunneling microscopy on the m-plane, non-polar surface of SiC

P. Xu·D. Qi·J. K. Schoelz·J. Thompson·P. M. Thibado·V. D. Wheeler·L. O. Nyakiti·R. L. Myers-Ward·C. R. Eddy Jr.·D. K. Gaskill·M. Neek-Amal·F. M. Peeters
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Abstract

Epitaxial graphene is grown on a non-polar n+ 6H-SiC m-plane substrate and studied using atomic scale scanning tunneling microscopy. Multilayer graphene is found throughout the surface and exhibits rotational disorder. Moir\'e patterns of different spatial periodicities are found, and we found that as the wavelength increases, so does the amplitude of the modulations. This relationship reveals information about the interplay between the energy required to bend graphene and the interaction energy, i.e. van der Waals energy, with the graphene layer below. Our experiments are supported by theoretical calculations which predict that the membrane topographical amplitude scales with the Moir\'e pattern wavelength, L as L^-1 + \alpha L^-2.

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P. Xu, D. Qi, J. K. Schoelz, J. Thompson, P. M. Thibado, V. D. Wheeler, L. O. Nyakiti, R. L. Myers-Ward, C. R. Eddy Jr., D. K. Gaskill, M. Neek-Amal, F. M. Peeters. 2014-12-30. Multilayer graphene, Moir\'e patterns, grain boundaries and defects identified by scanning tunneling microscopy on the m-plane, non-polar surface of SiC. https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.8680

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