HOPG

HOPG which stands for Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite or Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite, is a highly ordered form of pyrolytic graphite with an angular spread of the "c" axes of less than 1 degree [ [http://goldbook.iupac.org/H02823.html IUPAC Gold Book] ] . It is commonly used as a calibration tool for probe microscopies, such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy or Atomic Force Microscopy.

Commercial HOPG is usually produced by stress annealing at 3300 K [ [http://goldbook.iupac.org/H02823.html IUPAC Gold Book] ] .

HOPG behaves much like a pure metal. It is reflective, electrically conductive, but very brittle and flaky.

HOPG has been used as a substrate in many scientific experiments. See for example, Leitner et al., Applied Spectroscopy, Volume 57, Number 12, 2003, pp 1502.

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