Fig. 3

Ordering of the graphene nanodot superlattice. a Histogram of the size of the dots. The average dot diameter is 1.60 ± 0.18 nm in the case of the sample with periodicity of 5.9 ± 0.9 nm (long periodicity, red histogram), and is 1.63 ± 0.27 nm in the case of the sample with shorter periodicity (3.5 ± 0.7 nm, blue histogram). b, c STM images reporting vacancy-like and d dislocation-like defects within the dot superlattice. e Fourier transform and f 2D autocorrelation image of the STM micrograph in c, highlighting the periodicity of the graphene nanodot superlattice. In f, peaks and valleys correspond to distances from a dot at which there is higher or lower probability of finding another dot. The scale bars are 20 nm in b, 10 nm in c, d, f and 0.4 nm⁻¹ in e. Imaging parameters: a 1.0 V and 0.9 nA; b, c −1.2 V and 0.2 nA