Gun-Do Lee

Atomic Structure and Dynamics of Metal Dopant Pairs in Graphene

We present an atomic resolution structural study of covalently bonded dopant pairs in the lattice of monolayer graphene. Two iron (Fe) metal atoms that are covalently bonded within the graphene lattice are observed and their interaction with each other is investigated. The two metal atom dopants can form small paired clusters of varied geometry within graphene vacancy defects. The two Fe atoms are created within a 10 nm diameter predefined location in graphene by manipulating a focused electron beam (80 kV) on the surface of graphene containing an intentionally deposited Fe precursor reservoir. Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy at 80 kV has been used to investigate the atomic structure and real time dynamics of Fe dimers embedded in graphene vacancies. Four different stable structures have been observed; two variants of an Fe dimer in a graphene trivacancy, an Fe dimer embedded in two adjacent monovacancies and an Fe dimer trapped by a quadvacancy. According to spin-sensitive DFT calculations, these dimer structures all possess magnetic moments of either 2.00 or 4.00 μB. The dimer structures were found to evolve from an initial single Fe atom dopant trapped in a graphene vacancy.

Hydrogen-free graphene edges

Graphene edges and their functionalization influence the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons. Theoretical calculations predict saturating graphene edges with hydrogen lower its energy and form a more stable structure. Despite the importance, experimental investigations of whether graphene edges are always hydrogen-terminated are limited. Here we study graphene edges produced by sputtering in vacuum and direct measurements of the C-C bond lengths at the edge show ~86% contraction relative to the bulk. Density functional theory reveals the contraction is attributed to the formation of a triple bond and the absence of hydrogen functionalization. Time-dependent images reveal temporary attachment of a single atom to the arm-chair C-C bond in a triangular configuration, causing expansion of the bond length, which then returns back to the contracted value once the extra atom moves on and the arm-chair edge is returned. Our results provide confirmation that non-functionalized graphene edges can exist in vacuum.

Stability and Dynamics of the Tetravacancy in Graphene

The relative prevalence of various configurations of the tetravacancy defect in monolayer graphene has been examined using aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the two most common structures are extended linear defect structures, with the 3-fold symmetric Y-tetravacancy seldom imaged, in spite of this being a low energy state. Using density functional theory and tight-binding molecular dynamics calculations, we have determined that our TEM observations support a dynamic model of the tetravacancy under electron irradiation, with Stone-Wales bond rotations providing a mechanism for defect relaxation into lowest energy configurations. The most prevalent tetravacancy structures, while not necessarily having the lowest formation energy, are found to have a local energy minimum in the overall energy landscape for tetravacancies, explaining their relatively high occurrence.

Facet evolution in selective epitaxial growth of Si by cold-wall ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition

Si epitaxial layers were selectively grown on local-oxidation-of-silicon-patterned Si (100) substrates by cold-wall ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition. The Si windows were aligned along the [110] direction on Si (100) surface. As growth temperature increased from 550 to 650 °C, the development of (111) facets was dramatically suppressed, and the Si growth on sidewall facet planes was decreased. It is believed that surface diffusion of Si adatoms plays an important role in the morphological evolution of selective epitaxial growth (SEG). We propose a model to explain our experimental observations, and to clarify the effect of growth temperature on the facet morphology in terms of the surface mass transport and mass accumulation processes on facet surfaces. (211) facet formation between (311) and (111) facets in Si SEG is reported, and the stability of the (211) plane is also discussed. Finally, we investigated the changes in facet morphology with Si layer thickness, which supports our model for the ...

Detailed Atomic Reconstruction of Extended Line Defects in Monolayer MoS2

We study the detailed bond reconstructions that occur in S vacancies within monolayer MoS2 using a combination of aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, density functional theory (DFT), and multislice image simulations. Removal of a single S atom causes little perturbation to the surrounding MoS2 lattice, whereas the loss of two S atoms from the same atomic column causes a measurable local contraction. Aggregation of S vacancies into linear line defects along the zigzag direction results in larger lattice compression that is more pronounced as the length of the line defect increases. For the case of two rows of S line vacancies, we find two different types of S atom reconstructions with different amounts of lattice compression. Increasing the width of line defects leads to nanoscale regions of reconstructed MoS2 that are shown by DFT to behave as metallic channels. These results provide important insights into how defect structures could be used for creating metallic tracks within semiconducting monolayer MoS2 films for future applications in electronics and optoelectronics.

The formation of pentagon-heptagon pair defect by the reconstruction of vacancy defects in carbon nanotube

The reconstruction process of vacancy hole in carbon nanotube is investigated by tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations and by ab initio total energy calculations. In the molecular dynamics simulation, a vacancy hole is found to reconstruct into two separated pentagon-heptagon pair defects. As the result of reconstruction, the radius of the carbon nanotube is reduced and the chirality of the tube is partly changed. During the vacancy hole healing process, the formation of pentagonal and heptagonal rings is proceeded by the subsequent Stone-Wales [Chem. Phys. Lett. 128, 501 (1986)] transformation.

Formation and development of dislocation in graphene

The formation and development processes of dislocation in graphene are investigated by performing tight-binding molecular dynamics (TBMD) simulation and ab initio total energy calculation. It is found that the coalescence of pentagon-heptagon (5-7) pairs with vacancy defects induces the formation of dislocation due to the separation of two 5-7 pairs. In TBMD simulations, adatoms are ejected and evaporated from graphene surface so that the dislocation is developed. It is observed that diffusing carbon atoms nearby dangling bonds help non-hexagonal rings change into stable hexagonal rings. These results might give some ideas for the control of structural properties by inducing defect structures.

Bond length and charge density variations within extended arm chair defects in graphene.

Extended linear arm chair defects are intentionally fabricated in suspended monolayer graphene using controlled focused electron beam irradiation. The atomic structure is accurately determined using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy with monochromation of the electron source to achieve ∼80 pm spatial resolution at an accelerating voltage of 80 kV. We show that the introduction of atomic vacancies in graphene disrupts the uniformity of C-C bond lengths immediately surrounding linear arm chair defects in graphene. The measured changes in C-C bond lengths are related to density functional theory (DFT) calculations of charge density variation and corresponding DFT calculated structural models. We show good correlation between the DFT predicted localized charge depletion and structural models with HRTEM measured bond elongation within the carbon tetragon structure of graphene. Further evidence of bond elongation within graphene defects is obtained from imaging a pair of 5-8-5 divacancies.

The Role of the Bridging Atom in Stabilizing Odd Numbered Graphene Vacancies

Vacancy defects in graphene with an odd number of missing atoms, such as the trivacancy, have been imaged at atomic resolution using aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy. These defects are not just stabilized by simple bond reconstructions between under-coordinated carbon atoms, as exhibited by even vacancies such as the divacancy. Instead we have observed reconstructions consisting of under-coordinated bridging carbon atoms spanning the vacancy to saturate edge atoms. We report detailed studies of the effect of this bridging atom on the configuration of the trivacancy and higher order odd number vacancies, as well as its role in defect stabilization in amorphous systems. Theoretical analysis using density functional theory and tight-binding molecular dynamics calculations demonstrate that the bridging atom enables the low energy reconfiguration of these defect structures.

Atomic Structure of Graphene Subnanometer Pores

The atomic structure of subnanometer pores in graphene, of interest due to graphenes potential as a desalination and gas filtration membrane, is demonstrated by atomic resolution aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy. High temperatures of 500 °C and over are used to prevent self-healing of the pores, permitting the successful imaging of open pore geometries consisting of between -4 to -13 atoms, all exhibiting subnanometer diameters. Picometer resolution bond length measurements are used to confirm reconstruction of five-membered ring projections that often decorate the pore perimeter, knowledge which is used to explore the viability of completely self-passivated subnanometer pore structures; bonding configurations where the pore would not require external passivation by, for example, hydrogen to be chemically inert.