Ultralow Resistivity of the Graphite/Au van der Waals Heterostructure in the Structural Superlubric State

Zhanghui Wu; Tielin Wu; Xiaojian Xiang; Weipeng Chen; Yelingyi Wang; Dinglin Yang; Dingchuan Tang; Ying Liu; Jie An; Jinhui Nie; Deli Peng; Quanshui Zheng

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05519

Ultralow Resistivity of the Graphite/Au van der Waals Heterostructure in the Structural Superlubric State

Nano Lett. 2024 Nov 22. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05519. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhanghui Wu^{1

2}, Tielin Wu^{1

2}, Xiaojian Xiang³, Weipeng Chen^{1

2}, Yelingyi Wang^{1

2}, Dinglin Yang^{1

2}, Dingchuan Tang³, Ying Liu³, Jie An², Jinhui Nie³, Deli Peng³, Quanshui Zheng^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Nano and Micro Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
² Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
³ Institute of Superlubricity Technology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China.
⁴ Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518057, China.

PMID: 39575887
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05519

Abstract

Structural superlubricity, a state of zero wear and ultralow friction between two sliding solid contact surfaces, offers transformative potential for NEMS/MEMS switches, relays, logic devices, and sensors. Ultralow resistivity in two-dimensional (2D)/three-dimensional (3D) van der Waals heterostructures is critical for most applications. Using high-vacuum thermal evaporation of Au, we fabricate defect-free single-crystal graphite/Au van der Waals heterostructures in the SSL state, achieving a record-low resistivity of 2.542 × 10^-12 Ω m², which is 6 times lower than that of prior reports. The resistance remains stable under varying loads and speeds, attributed to the all-atom contact and defect-free single-crystal graphite. Thermal evaporation of Au preserves the single-crystal graphite 2D lattice, enabling lower resistivity. The 2D/3D SSL heterostructure is simpler, more stable, and broadly more applicable than 2D/2D systems. It establishes the electrical foundation for applying superlubric technology in micro-nano devices and provides a platform for studying fundamental behaviors at 2D/3D sliding interfaces, including electron friction, phonon dissipation, and electron transfer.

Keywords: highly oriented pyrolytic graphite; single-crystal graphite; sliding contact resistivity; structural superlubricity; van der Waals heterostructure.