Resolving Angle-Dependent Properties of Twisted Layers of 2D Materials Using AFM

Graphene and other 2D materials may be promising candidates for constructing “beyond-CMOS” devices that enable higher density and speed than what current technology allows. It has been found that layering these materials with a slight twist angle can create a band gap in graphene, which lacks an intrinsic band gap, or tune the band gap in materials like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Characterizing these effects with atomic force microscopy requires ultra-high resolution imaging of structure and high sensitivity measurement of electrical properties. This new application note presents results from three recent publications that demonstrate how Asylum Research AFMs are being used to characterize angle-dependent properties in twisted superlattices in 2D materials.

Download the application note to learn:

• How piezoresponse force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy can be used to characterize twisted double-layer graphene
• How conductive AFM and scanning tunneling microscopy can be used to measure the reduced conductivity of twisted bilayer graphene
• How AFM-based nanomanipulation can be used to systematically study conductivity as a function of twist angle in TMD/graphene heterostructures

(Free download, compliments of Asylum Research, the Technology Leader in Atomic Force Microscopy)