Nanoscale 3-D (E, k(x), k(y)) band structure imaging on graphene and intercalated graphene

An x-ray photoemission electron microscope (X-PEEM) equipped with a hemispherical energy analyzer is capable of fast acquisition of momentum-resolved photoelectron angular distribution patterns in a complete cone. We have applied this technique to observe the 3-D (E, k(x), k(y)) electronic band structure of zero-, one-, and two-monolayer (ML) graphene grown ex situ on 6H-SiC(0001) substrates where a carbon buffer layer (zero ML) forms underneath the graphene layer(s). We demonstrate that the interfacial buffer layer can be converted into quasi-free-standing graphene upon intercalation of Li atoms at the interface and that such a graphene is structurally and electronically decoupled from the SiC substrate. High energy and momentum resolution of the X-PEEM, along with short data acquisition times from submicrometer areas on the surface demonstrates the uniqueness and the versatility of the technique and broadens its impact and applicability within surface science and nanotechnology

Changes in structural and electronic properties of graphene grown on 6H-SiC(0001) induced by Na deposition

The effects of Na deposited on monolayer graphene on SiC(001) were investigated by synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy and angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental results show that Na prefers to adsorb on the graphene layer after deposition at room temperature. Nonetheless, part of the Na atoms are able to intercalate in between the graphene and the buffer layer and some go even further into the substrate interface as indicated by the shift of the bulk SiC component in the C 1s and Si 2p core level spectra. The ARPES spectrum exhibits a lowering of the Dirac point indicating increased n-type doping of the monolayer graphene induced by the deposited Na atoms. Upon subsequently heating the sample, we found that a slightly elevated temperature is essential in order to promote Na intercalation. A fully Na intercalation at the graphene-SiC interface is obtained after heating at a temperature of about 75 degrees C. The intercalated Na decouples the buffer layer and transforms it into a second graphene layer so two pi-bands are observed in the ARPES spectra. Interestingly, the two bands show different locations of the Dirac point but both exhibit linear dispersion in the vicinity of the (K) over bar point and not the hyperbolic dispersion observed for AB stacked bi-layer graphene. When heating the sample to about 125 degrees C or higher, Na is found to leave the interface and the second graphene layer is transformed back to the carbon buffer layer.Funding Agencies|EU|

A low-energy electron microscopy and x-ray photo-emission electron microscopy study of Li intercalated into graphene on SiC(0001)

The effects induced by the deposition of Li on 1 and 0 ML graphene grown on SiC(0001) and after subsequent heating were investigated using low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and x-ray photo-emission electron microscopy (XPEEM). For 1 ML samples, the collected photoelectron angular distribution patterns showed the presence of single pi-cones at the six equivalent K-points in the Brillouin zone before Li deposition but the presence of two pi-cones (pi-bands) after Li deposition and after heating to a few hundred degrees C. For 0 ML samples, no pi-band could be detected close to the Fermi level before deposition, but distinct pi-cones at the K-points were clearly resolved after Li deposition and after heating. Thus Li intercalation was revealed in both cases, transforming the carbon buffer layer (0 ML) to graphene. On 1 ML samples, but not on 0 ML, a (root 3 x root 3) R30 degrees diffraction pattern was observed immediately after Li deposition. This pattern vanished upon heating and then wrinkles/cracks appeared on the surface. Intercalation of Li was thus found to deteriorate the quality of the graphene layer, especially for 1 ML samples. These wrinkles/cracks did not disappear even after heating at temperatures >= 500 degrees C, when no Li atoms remained on the substrate

Detailed studies of Na intercalation on furnace-grown graphene on 6H-SiC(0001)

The effects induced by Na deposited on furnace grown graphene on SiC(0001) and after subsequent annealing are investigated using LEEM, mu-LEED, mu-PES and XPEEM. Intercalation in between carbon layers and at the interface is observed to occur both on the 1 ML and 2 ML areas directly after Na deposition. Annealing at a temperature around 100 degrees C is found to strongly promote Na intercalation. Exposure to the electron beam or the focused synchrotron radiation in the LEEM/XPEEM is also found to promote the intercalation, which is confirmed to begin at domain boundaries between the 1 ML and 2 ML areas, and also as stripe/streak-like features on the 1 ML areas. The XPEEM data show Na adsorption on the surface and intercalation at the interface to be quite non-uniform. When annealing at higher temperatures Na starts to de-intercalate and leave the sample, but Na is still detectable on the sample after annealing at 240 degrees C. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

A spectroscopic study of self-assembled monolayer of porphyrin-functionalized oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s on gold: the influence of the anchor moiety

Porphyrin-functionalized oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s (OPE) are promising molecules for molecular electronics applications. Three such molecules (1-3) with the common structure P-OPE-AG (P and AG are a porphyrin and anchor group, respectively) and different anchor groups, viz. an acetyl protected thiol, -S-COCH 3 (1), an acetyl protected thiol with methylene linker, -CH 2 -S-COCH 3 (2), and a trimethylsilylethynyl group, -C≡C-Si(CH 3 ) 3 (3) have been synthesized and the corresponding self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) substrates have been prepared. The integrity and structural properties of these films were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The results suggest that the films formed from 1 have a high orientational order with an almost upright orientation and dense packing of the molecular constituents, i.e. represent a high quality SAM. In contrast, molecule 2 formed disordered molecular layers on Au, even though the molecule-surface bonding (thiolate) is the same as in the case of molecule 1. This suggests that the methylene linker in molecule 2 has a strong impact on the quality of the resulting film, so that a well-ordered SAM cannot be formed. The silane system, 3, is also able to bind to the gold surface but the resulting SAM has a poor quality, being significantly disordered and/or comprised of strongly inclined molecules. The above results suggest that the nature of the anchor group along with a possible linker is an important parameter which, to a high extent, predetermines the entire quality of OPE-based molecular layers

http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-70327 Hydrogen intercalation of graphene grown on 6H-SiC(0001)

Atomic hydrogen exposures on a monolayer graphene grown on the SiC(0001) surface are shown to result in hydrogen intercalation. The hydrogen intercalation induces a transformation of the monolayer graphene and the carbon buffer layer to bi-layer graphene without a buffer layer. The STM, LEED, and core-level photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal that hydrogen atoms can go underneath the graphene and the carbon buffer layer and bond to Si atoms at the substrate interface. This transforms the buffer layer into a second graphene layer. Hydrogen exposure results initially in the formation of bi-layer graphene islands on the surface. With larger atomic hydrogen exposures, the islands grow in size and merge until the surface is fully covered with bi-layer graphene. A ( 3