Defect scattering in graphene

TL;DR

This paper investigates how 500 eV Ne and He ion irradiation creates defects in graphene on SiO2, leading to intervalley scattering, reduced mobility, and insulating behavior due to lattice defects and mid-gap states.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence linking ion-induced defects to intervalley scattering and transport property changes in graphene, highlighting the impact of defect formation on conductivity.

Findings

Defects cause significant Raman D band intensity.

Mobility decreases inversely with ion dose, four times more than for singly charged impurities.

Minimum conductivity drops below the theoretical limit for defect-free graphene.

Abstract

Irradiation of graphene on SiO2 by 500 eV Ne and He ions creates defects that cause intervalley scattering as evident from a significant Raman D band intensity. The defect scattering gives a conductivity proportional to charge carrier density, with mobility decreasing as the inverse of the ion dose. The mobility decrease is four times larger than for a similar concentration of singly charged impurities. The minimum conductivity decreases proportional to the mobility to values lower than 4e^2/(pi*h), the minimum theoretical value for graphene free of intervalley scattering. Defected graphene shows a diverging resistivity at low temperature, indicating insulating behavior. The results are best explained by ion-induced formation of lattice defects that result in mid-gap states.