• 文献标题:   Tip induced mechanical deformation of epitaxial graphene grown on reconstructed 6H-SiC(0001) surface during scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy studies
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   MEZA JAM, LUBIN C, THOYER F, COUSTY J
  • 作者关键词:   epitaxial graphene, stm, afm, mechanical propertie, silicon carbide
  • 出版物名称:   NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • ISSN:   0957-4484 EI 1361-6528
  • 通讯作者地址:   CEA Saclay
  • 被引频次:   5
  • DOI:   10.1088/0957-4484/26/25/255704
  • 出版年:   2015

▎ 摘  要

The structural and mechanical properties of an epitaxial graphene (EG) monolayer thermally grown on top of a 6H-SiC(0001) surface were studied by combined dynamic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM). Experimental STM, dynamic STM and AFM images of EG on 6H-SiC(0001) show a lattice with a 1.9 nm period corresponding to the (6 x 6) quasi-cell of the SiC surface. The corrugation amplitude of this (6 x 6) quasi-cell, measured from AFM topographies, increases with the setpoint value of the frequency shift Delta f (15-20 Hz, repulsive interaction). Excitation variations map obtained simultaneously with the AFM topography shows that larger dissipation values are measured in between the topographical bumps of the (6 x 6) quasi-cell. These results demonstrate that the AFM tip deforms the graphene monolayer. During recording in dynamic STM mode, a frequency shift (Delta f) map is obtained in which Delta f values range from 41 to 47 Hz (repulsive interaction). As a result, we deduced that the STM tip, also, provokes local mechanical distortions of the graphene monolayer. The origin of these tip-induced distortions is discussed in terms of electronic and mechanical properties of EG on 6H-SiC(0001).