Placing single atoms in graphene with a scanning transmission electron microscope

Ondrej Dyck, Songkil Kim, Sergei V. Kalinin, Stephen Jesse

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Abstract

We employ the sub-atomically focused beam of a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to introduce and controllably manipulate individual dopant atoms in a 2D graphene lattice. The electron beam is used to create defects and subsequently sputter adsorbed source materials into the graphene lattice such that individual vacancy defects are controllably passivated by Si substitutional atoms. We further document that Si point defects may be directed through the lattice via e-beam control or modified (as yet, uncontrollably) to form new defects which can incorporate new atoms into the graphene lattice. These studies demonstrate the potential of STEM for atom-by-atom nanofabrication and fundamental studies of chemical reactions in 2D materials on the atomic level.

Original languageEnglish
Article number113104
JournalApplied Physics Letters
Volume111
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 11 2017

Funding

Research was performed at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User facility. Experimental work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy (O.D., S.K., S.V.K., and S.J.).

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