Experimental study of irradiated few-layer graphene

Abstract

Few layer graphene fragments were obtained by mechanical exfoliation technique on copper grid for TEM, irradiated by 100 keV electrons and characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In order to achieve higher sensitivity on surface carbon nanostructures the low-energy probing (1 keV) by the energy dispersive spectroscopy was used. Data of the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy allows to obtain well distinct levels of carbon and to determine a minimum step level relating to one graphene layer. Raman spectra shows apparent contribution of the D-peak, indicating radiation damage after 100 keV irradiation and conventional medium electron microscopy  investigations. The weak effect of radiation damage has also been revealed after low-energy (2 keV) observation and energy dispersive X-ray measurements using 1 keV primary electron beam.