A method of preparing single stage carbon replicas of layer materials

Abstract

Although single stage replica techniques involving a water soluble 'parting layer' are suitable for many materials they are unsuccessful when applied to some layer-type crystals such as graphite, molybdenum disulphide and molybdenum telluride. A new technique has been developed for these materials in which a thin layer of silver is evaporated onto the crystal surface before the sodium chloride 'parting layer' and the carbon replicating film are deposited. The technique gives high resolution replicas with a good degree of reproducibility.