Epitaxial graphene growth on several SiC surface orientations at high and ultrahigh vacuum pressure

ORAL

Abstract

We use Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) measurements on several SiC surface orientations and have measured an Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) signature confirming the formation of graphene at high ($\sim $10$^{-8}$ torr) and ultrahigh ($\sim $10$^{-10}$ torr) vacuum pressure. In addition, low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and ex situ AFM have been used \textit{in situ} to characterize the graphene layers. Sample preparation and characterization both \textit{in situ} and \textit{ex situ} is an important prerequisite for a final uniform graphene film. A chemical mechanical polish of the initial SiC gives atomically flat surfaces with SiC bilayer-step heights. \textit{In situ} direct current annealing at $\sim $900 C is performed to remove the native oxide and further prolonged annealing activates step flow growth of graphene on SiC. The decomposition of Si on bare SiC is shown to be more rapid at higher pressures possibly due to residual gases such as CO and H$_{2}$O while having much less effect on the 6sq root3 surface reconstruction due to its inert properties. AES is combined with STM to characterize the surface morphology combined with LEED to image surface graphene layer transformations. The half-cell stacking-fault symmetry appears to be preferred on the Si polar face as reported by others and gives the most uniform graphene growth.

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Authors

  • Jaetae Seo

    NC A\&T State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, AFRL/RYHC Hanscom AFB MA 01731, Harvard University, The College of William \& Mary, NCSU Near-field Optics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Weizmann, PTB, Braunschweig, UMass, TUNL/Duke, UConn, UConn/TUNL, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Brimrose Corporation of America, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, Florida-32307, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshah-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6250, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Alabama A\&M University, Fachbereich C-Mathematik und Naturwissen-Schaften, Bergische Universitat Wuppertal, D-42097, Wuppertal, Germany, NC State University, College of William and Mary, Department of Physics, N.C. State Univeristy, Research Triangle Institute, NCSU Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, LSU, UNIRIB, U. Tenn., ORNL, Miss. St., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, NCA\&T, Duke, NCCU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics, Elon University, Dept. of Physics - UNC - Chapel Hill, Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea, Department of Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

  • Jaetae Seo

    NC A\&T State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, AFRL/RYHC Hanscom AFB MA 01731, Harvard University, The College of William \& Mary, NCSU Near-field Optics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Weizmann, PTB, Braunschweig, UMass, TUNL/Duke, UConn, UConn/TUNL, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Brimrose Corporation of America, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, Florida-32307, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshah-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6250, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Alabama A\&M University, Fachbereich C-Mathematik und Naturwissen-Schaften, Bergische Universitat Wuppertal, D-42097, Wuppertal, Germany, NC State University, College of William and Mary, Department of Physics, N.C. State Univeristy, Research Triangle Institute, NCSU Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, LSU, UNIRIB, U. Tenn., ORNL, Miss. St., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, NCA\&T, Duke, NCCU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics, Elon University, Dept. of Physics - UNC - Chapel Hill, Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea, Department of Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

  • Jaetae Seo

    NC A\&T State University, Penn State University, The Ohio State University, Wright State University, AFRL/RYHC Hanscom AFB MA 01731, Harvard University, The College of William \& Mary, NCSU Near-field Optics Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Weizmann, PTB, Braunschweig, UMass, TUNL/Duke, UConn, UConn/TUNL, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Brimrose Corporation of America, Hampton University, Elizabeth City State University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, Florida-32307, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshah-6205, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6250, Bangladesh, Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh, Alabama A\&M University, Fachbereich C-Mathematik und Naturwissen-Schaften, Bergische Universitat Wuppertal, D-42097, Wuppertal, Germany, NC State University, College of William and Mary, Department of Physics, N.C. State Univeristy, Research Triangle Institute, NCSU Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, LSU, UNIRIB, U. Tenn., ORNL, Miss. St., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, NCA\&T, Duke, NCCU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics, Elon University, Dept. of Physics - UNC - Chapel Hill, Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, 305-600, South Korea, Department of Chemistry, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, South Korea, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

  • Jack Rowe

    NC State University