Abstract
Graphene-based devices hold promise for a wide range of technological applications. Yet characterizing the structure and the electrical properties of a material that is only one atomic layer thick still poses technical challenges. Recent investigations indicate that secondary-electron electron-beam-induced current (SE-EBIC) imaging can reveal subtle details regarding electrical conductivity and electron transport with high spatial resolution. Here, it is shown that the SEEBIC imaging mode can be used to detect suspended single layers of graphene and distinguish between different numbers of layers. Pristine and contaminated areas of graphene are also compared to show that pristine graphene exhibits a substantially lower SE yield than contaminated regions. This SEEBIC imaging mode may provide valuable information for the engineering of surface coatings where SE yield is a priority.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2000950 |
| Journal | Small Methods |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 15 2021 |
Funding
O.D. and J.L.S. contributed equally to this work. This work was supported by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility (O.D.) and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division (A.R.L., S.J.). J.A.M. was supported through the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, Grant No. MR/S032541/1, with in‐kind support from the Royal Academy of Engineering. The authors acknowledge use of characterization facilities within the David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy, Department of Materials, University of Oxford, alongside financial support provided by the Henry Royce Institute (Grant ref EP/R010145/1).
Keywords
- graphene
- scanning transmission electron microscopy
- secondary electron e-beam induced current
- secondary electron yield