Conductance Anisotropy in Epitaxial Graphene Sheets Generated by Substrate Interactions

We present the first microscopic transport study of epitaxial graphene on SiC using an ultrahigh vacuum four-probe scanning tunneling microscope. Anisotropic conductivity is observed that is caused by the interaction between the graphene and the underlying substrate. These results can be explained by a model where charge buildup at the step edges leads to local scattering of charge carriers. This highlights the importance of considering substrate effects in proposed devices that utilize nanoscale patterning of graphene on electrically isolated substrates.