Atomic resolution of nitrogen-doped graphene on Cu foils

Atomic-level substitutional doping can significantly tune the electronic properties of graphene. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, the atomic-scale crystalline structure of graphene grown on polycrystalline Cu, the distribution of nitrogen dopants and their effect on the electronic properties of graphene were investigated. Both the graphene sheet growth and nitrogen doping were performed using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The results indicated that the nitrogen dopants preferentially sit at the grain boundaries of the graphene sheets and confirmed that plasma treatment is a potential method to incorporate foreign atoms into the graphene lattice to tailor the graphene's electronic properties.