title: Atomic-scale imaging and manipulation of ridges on epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001).
abstract: Ridges are observed on epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001) by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Atomic resolution imaging reveals that they are in fact bulged regions of the graphene layer, occurring as a result of bending and buckling to relieve the compressive strain. Furthermore, their length, direction, and distribution can be manipulated, and new ones can even be created by the tip-surface interactions during STM imaging. The lower limit of terrace size for ridge formation is estimated to be approximately 80 nm, and nearly ridge-free graphene film can be obtained on vicinal 3.5 degrees miscut substrates.
authors: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors: G F
authors: GF
authors: Sun
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Jia
authors: Q K
authors: QK
authors: Xue
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Li