Stacking domain morphology in epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide

Despite being considered homogeneous and uniform, graphene grown on silicon carbide has been found to contain a vast network of stacking domains and dislocations. These are formed due to the strain field between graphene and the substrate, and their spatial orientations and shapes arise from minute variations therein. In this work, the authors used low-energy electron microscopy and moire pattern analysis to map out local variations in orientation, strain, and dislocation distribution. This creates a better understanding of the growth process of graphene on silicon carbide (and similar two-dimensional materials) to enable their use in practical applications.