Disorder-tuned conductivity in amorphous monolayer carbon

Huifeng Tian, Yinhang Ma, Zhenjiang Li, Mouyang Cheng, Shoucong Ning, Erxun Han, Mingquan Xu, Peng-Fei Zhang, Kexiang Zhao, Ruijie Li, Yuting Zou, PeiChi Liao, Shulei Yu, Xiaomei Li, Jianlin Wang, Shizhuo Liu, Yifei Li, Xinyu Huang, Zhixin Yao, Dongdong Ding, Junjie Guo, Yuan Huang, Jianming Lu, Yuyan Han, Zhaosheng Wang, Zhi Gang Cheng, Junjiang Liu, Zhi Xu, Kaihui Liu, Peng Gao, Ying Jiang, Li Lin, Xiaoxu Zhao, Lifen Wang, Xuedong Bai, Wangyang Fu, Jie-Yu Wang, Maozhi Li, Ting Lei, Yanfeng Zhang, Yanglong Hou, Jian Pei, Stephen J. Pennycook, Enge Wang, Ji Chen (), Wu Zhou () and Lei Liu ()
Additional contact information
Huifeng Tian: Peking University
Yinhang Ma: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhenjiang Li: Peking University
Mouyang Cheng: Peking University
Shoucong Ning: National University of Singapore
Erxun Han: Peking University
Mingquan Xu: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peng-Fei Zhang: Peking University
Kexiang Zhao: Peking University
Ruijie Li: Peking University
Yuting Zou: Chinese Academy of Sciences
PeiChi Liao: Peking University
Shulei Yu: Peking University
Xiaomei Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianlin Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shizhuo Liu: Peking University
Yifei Li: Peking University
Xinyu Huang: Peking University
Zhixin Yao: Peking University
Dongdong Ding: Peking University
Junjie Guo: Taiyuan University of Technology
Yuan Huang: Beijing Institute of Technology
Jianming Lu: Peking University
Yuyan Han: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhaosheng Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhi Gang Cheng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Junjiang Liu: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Zhi Xu: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Kaihui Liu: Peking University
Peng Gao: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Ying Jiang: Peking University
Li Lin: Peking University
Xiaoxu Zhao: Peking University
Lifen Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xuedong Bai: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wangyang Fu: Tsinghua University
Jie-Yu Wang: Peking University
Maozhi Li: Renmin University of China
Ting Lei: Peking University
Yanfeng Zhang: Peking University
Yanglong Hou: Peking University
Jian Pei: Peking University
Stephen J. Pennycook: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Enge Wang: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Ji Chen: Peking University
Wu Zhou: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lei Liu: Peking University

Nature, 2023, vol. 615, issue 7950, 56-61

Abstract: Abstract Correlating atomic configurations—specifically, degree of disorder (DOD)—of an amorphous solid with properties is a long-standing riddle in materials science and condensed matter physics, owing to difficulties in determining precise atomic positions in 3D structures1–5. To this end, 2D systems provide insight to the puzzle by allowing straightforward imaging of all atoms6,7. Direct imaging of amorphous monolayer carbon (AMC) grown by laser-assisted depositions has resolved atomic configurations, supporting the modern crystallite view of vitreous solids over random network theory8. Nevertheless, a causal link between atomic-scale structures and macroscopic properties remains elusive. Here we report facile tuning of DOD and electrical conductivity in AMC films by varying growth temperatures. Specifically, the pyrolysis threshold temperature is the key to growing variable-range-hopping conductive AMC with medium-range order (MRO), whereas increasing the temperature by 25 °C results in AMC losing MRO and becoming electrically insulating, with an increase in sheet resistance of 109 times. Beyond visualizing highly distorted nanocrystallites embedded in a continuous random network, atomic-resolution electron microscopy shows the absence/presence of MRO and temperature-dependent densities of nanocrystallites, two order parameters proposed to fully describe DOD. Numerical calculations establish the conductivity diagram as a function of these two parameters, directly linking microstructures to electrical properties. Our work represents an important step towards understanding the structure–property relationship of amorphous materials at the fundamental level and paves the way to electronic devices using 2D amorphous materials.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05617-w

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