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Direct experimental observation of stacking fault scattering in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite meso-structures
E Koren1, A W Knoll1, E Lörtscher1
1IBM Research-Zurich, Säumerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
Nature Communications
|December 17, 2014
Summary
Stacking faults in graphite, crucial for anomalous transport, can now be measured. Their resistance, not interlayer resistance, dictates graphite
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Stacking fault defects are implicated in anomalous transport phenomena in graphite.
- Direct observation of stacking faults using diffractive techniques is experimentally challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for measuring stacking fault density and resistance in graphite.
- To investigate the relationship between stacking faults and c-axis resistivity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of non-Gaussian scatter in the c-axis resistivity of mesoscopic graphite structures.
- Fitting high electrical field strength non-Ohmic conduction deviations to a thermally activated transport model.
Main Results:
- Stacking fault density and resistance can be quantitatively measured.
- A thermally activated transport model accurately predicts stacking fault density.
- Stacking fault resistance dominates c-axis resistivity, exceeding interlayer resistance predictions.
Conclusions:
- C-axis resistivity in graphite is primarily determined by stacking fault resistance.
- The developed method provides a new route to characterize defects in graphite.
