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Konvalina I, Daniel B, Zouhar M, Paták A, Müllerová I, Frank L, Piňos J, Průcha L, Radlička T, Werner WSM, Mikmeková EM. Low-Energy Electron Inelastic Mean Free Path of Graphene Measured by a Time-of-Flight Spectrometer. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:2435. [PMID: 34578750 PMCID: PMC8471131 DOI: 10.3390/nano11092435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The detailed examination of electron scattering in solids is of crucial importance for the theory of solid-state physics, as well as for the development and diagnostics of novel materials, particularly those for micro- and nanoelectronics. Among others, an important parameter of electron scattering is the inelastic mean free path (IMFP) of electrons both in bulk materials and in thin films, including 2D crystals. The amount of IMFP data available is still not sufficient, especially for very slow electrons and for 2D crystals. This situation motivated the present study, which summarizes pilot experiments for graphene on a new device intended to acquire electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) for low landing energies. Thanks to its unique properties, such as electrical conductivity and transparency, graphene is an ideal candidate for study at very low energies in the transmission mode of an electron microscope. The EELS are acquired by means of the very low-energy electron microspectroscopy of 2D crystals, using a dedicated ultra-high vacuum scanning low-energy electron microscope equipped with a time-of-flight (ToF) velocity analyzer. In order to verify our pilot results, we also simulate the EELS by means of density functional theory (DFT) and the many-body perturbation theory. Additional DFT calculations, providing both the total density of states and the band structure, illustrate the graphene loss features. We utilize the experimental EELS data to derive IMFP values using the so-called log-ratio method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Konvalina
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Benjamin Daniel
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Martin Zouhar
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Aleš Paták
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Ilona Müllerová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Luděk Frank
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Jakub Piňos
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Lukáš Průcha
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Tomáš Radlička
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
| | - Wolfgang S. M. Werner
- Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8–10/E134, 1040 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Eliška Materna Mikmeková
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic; (B.D.); (M.Z.); (A.P.); (I.M.); (L.F.); (J.P.); (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.M.M.)
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