Clusters of interstitial carbon atoms near the graphite surface as a possible origin of dome-like features observed by scanning tunneling microscopy

Formation of clusters of interstitial carbon atoms between the surface and second atomic layers of graphite is demonstrated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that interstitial clusters result in the domelike surface features that may be associated with some of the hillocks observed by scanning tunneling microscopy on the irradiated graphite surface. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.