Scanning tunneling microscopy observation of dislocations with superlattice structure in graphite

Dislocation ribbons with superlattice structure are observed in graphite samples by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In one sample, the angle of rotation between graphite layers in the dislocation ribbon is 3.0 degrees and the displacement of the atoms on one side of the ribbon with respect to the atoms on the other side due to the rotation is found to be a multiple of the distance between beta-site atoms in graphite. The regions of normal graphite between the ribbons are found to change to a superlattice region with repeated scanning. Also, additional graphite layers over the ribbons do nor alter their visibility. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.