Electrostatic Force Microscopy on Oriented Graphite Surfaces: Coexistence of Insulating and Conducting Behaviors

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Yonghua Lu,¹ M. Muñoz,¹ C. S. Steplecaru,¹ Cheng Hao,¹ Ming Bai,¹ N. Garcia,¹ K. Schindler,² and P. Esquinazi²
¹Laboratorio de Física de Sistemas Pequeños y Nanotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Serrano 144, 28006 Madrid, Spain
²Division of Superconductivity and Magnetism, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Received 10 April 2006; published 18 August 2006

Wepresent measurements of the electric potential fluctuations on the surfaceof highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using electrostatic force and atomicforce microscopy. Micrometric domainlike potential distributions are observed even whenthe sample is grounded. Such potential distributions are unexpected giventhe good metallic conductivity of graphite because the surface shouldbe an equipotential. Our results indicate the coexistence of regionswith "metalliclike" and "insulatinglike" behaviors showing large potential fluctuations ofthe order of 0.25 V. In lower quality graphite, this effectis not observed. Experiments are performed in Ar and airatmospheres.

URL:	http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.076805
DOI:	10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.076805
PACS:	73.25.+i; 73.43.Fj; 79.60.Jv; 81.05.Uw 73.25.+i Surface conductivity and carrier phenomena 73.43.Fj Novel experimental methods; measurements (quantum Hall effect) 79.60.Jv Photoelectron spectra of interfaces; heterostructures; nanostructures 81.05.Uw Carbon, diamond, graphite: fabrication, treatment, testing and analysis YEAR: 2006

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