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Title: Mitigating e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition on graphene for atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy studies

Abstract

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene used in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy [(S)TEM] studies must undergo a careful transfer of the one-atom-thick membrane from the growth surface (typically a Cu foil) to the TEM grid. During this transfer process, the graphene invariably becomes contaminated with foreign materials. This contamination proves to be very problematic in the (S)TEM because often >95% of the graphene is obscured, and imaging of the pristine areas results in e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition which further acts to obscure the desired imaging area. In this article, the authors examine two cleaning techniques for CVD grown graphene that mitigate both aspects of the contamination problem: visible contamination covering the graphene, and “invisible” contamination that deposits onto the graphene under e-beam irradiation. Furthermore, the visible contamination may be removed quickly by a rapid thermal annealing to 1200 °C in situ and the invisible e-beam-deposited contamination may be removed through an Ar/O2 annealing procedure prior to imaging in the (S)TEM.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Inst. for Functioanl Imaging of Materials
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1771916
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1411101
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 36; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2166-2746
Publisher:
American Vacuum Society / AIP
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Organic compounds; scanning electron microscopy; graphene; thin film deposition; sample handling; semiconductor device fabrication; chemical elements; carbon based materials; secondary ion mass spectrometry; electron beams

Citation Formats

Dyck, Ondrej, Kim, Songkil, Kalinin, Sergei V., and Jesse, Stephen. Mitigating e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition on graphene for atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy studies. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1116/1.5003034.
Dyck, Ondrej, Kim, Songkil, Kalinin, Sergei V., & Jesse, Stephen. Mitigating e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition on graphene for atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy studies. United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5003034
Dyck, Ondrej, Kim, Songkil, Kalinin, Sergei V., and Jesse, Stephen. Mon . "Mitigating e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition on graphene for atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy studies". United States. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5003034. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1771916.
@article{osti_1771916,
title = {Mitigating e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition on graphene for atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy studies},
author = {Dyck, Ondrej and Kim, Songkil and Kalinin, Sergei V. and Jesse, Stephen},
abstractNote = {Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene used in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy [(S)TEM] studies must undergo a careful transfer of the one-atom-thick membrane from the growth surface (typically a Cu foil) to the TEM grid. During this transfer process, the graphene invariably becomes contaminated with foreign materials. This contamination proves to be very problematic in the (S)TEM because often >95% of the graphene is obscured, and imaging of the pristine areas results in e-beam-induced hydrocarbon deposition which further acts to obscure the desired imaging area. In this article, the authors examine two cleaning techniques for CVD grown graphene that mitigate both aspects of the contamination problem: visible contamination covering the graphene, and “invisible” contamination that deposits onto the graphene under e-beam irradiation. Furthermore, the visible contamination may be removed quickly by a rapid thermal annealing to 1200 °C in situ and the invisible e-beam-deposited contamination may be removed through an Ar/O2 annealing procedure prior to imaging in the (S)TEM.},
doi = {10.1116/1.5003034},
journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B},
number = 1,
volume = 36,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 04 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Mon Dec 04 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}

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