Electronic structure of epitaxial graphene layers on SiC: effects of the substrate

Journal Article · Fri Oct 17 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Phys. Rev. Lett.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.126805· OSTI ID:1007672

Varchon, F; Feng, R; Hass, J; Li, X; Nguyen, B Ngoc; Naud, C; Mallet, P; Veuillen, J -Y; Berger, C; Conrad, E H; Magaud, L ^[1]

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1. CNRS

A strong substrate-graphite bond is found in the first all-carbon layer by density functional theory calculations and x-ray diffraction for few graphene layers grown epitaxially on SiC. This first layer is devoid of graphene electronic properties and acts as a buffer layer. The graphene nature of the film is recovered by the second carbon layer grown on both the (0001) and (0001{sup -}) 4H-SiC surfaces. We also present evidence of a charge transfer that depends on the interface geometry. Hence the graphene is doped and a gap opens at the Dirac point after three Bernal stacked carbon layers are formed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1007672
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 99, Issue 2007; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BUFFERS
CARBON
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
FUNCTIONALS
GEOMETRY
SUBSTRATES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION