The Origin of Doping in Quasi-Free Standing Graphene on Silicon Carbide

TL;DR

This paper explains the p-type doping in quasi-free standing graphene on silicon carbide as a result of the substrate's spontaneous polarization, providing a universal mechanism that supersedes defect-based models.

Contribution

It introduces a polarization-based doping mechanism for graphene on SiC, replacing defect-based explanations and aligning with observed doping levels.

Findings

Spontaneous polarization accounts for the observed p-type doping.

The polarization magnitude matches the doping level in graphene.

Epitaxial graphene's n-type doping is due to donor-like interface states.

Abstract

We explain the robust p-type doping observed for quasi-free standing graphene on hexagonal silicon carbide by the spontaneous polarization of the substrate. This mechanism is based on a bulk property of SiC, unavoidable for any hexagonal polytype of the material and independent of any details of the interface formation. We show that sign and magnitude of the polarization are in perfect agreement with the doping level observed in the graphene layer. With this mechanism, models based on hypothetical acceptor-type defects as they are discussed so far are obsolete. The n-type doping of epitaxial graphene is explained conventionally by donor-like states associated with the buffer layer and its interface to the substrate which overcompensate the polarization doping.