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Growth from below: graphene bilayers on Ir(111).
Shu Nie1, Andrew L Walter, Norman C Bartelt
1Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550, United States.
ACS Nano
|February 17, 2011
Summary
Graphene bilayer growth on Ir(111) involves second-layer islands nucleating between layers, influenced by rotational misalignment. This impacts growth stability and electronic properties of the resulting bilayer graphene.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Graphene bilayers are crucial for advanced electronic applications.
- Understanding their growth mechanisms on transition metal substrates is key.
- Ir(111) is a common substrate for studying graphene growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the formation mechanism of graphene bilayers on Ir(111).
- To investigate the role of rotational misalignment in bilayer growth.
- To correlate growth dynamics with substrate binding and electronic properties.
Main Methods:
- Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) for structural analysis.
- Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) for imaging growth.
- Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) for electronic structure.
Main Results:
- Second-layer graphene islands nucleate between the first layer and Ir(111) substrate.
- Nucleation is influenced by rotational variants and substrate defects.
- Bilayer graphene exhibits p-doped π-bands and a work function dependent on the bottom layer orientation.
Conclusions:
- Graphene bilayer growth on Ir(111) is governed by interlayer nucleation.
- Substrate binding strength and defects dictate growth stability (layer-by-layer vs. mound formation).
- The electronic properties of bilayer graphene are sensitive to its growth structure.
