Heat-treated vapor-grown fibers were produced by the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon vapor, and were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. It was found that the 002 lattice planes were parallel to each other along the fiber axis, and maintained a uniform inter-layer spacing of 0.336nm. The 100 lattice planes made various angles with respect to the 002 planes. This was caused by the gliding of adjacent graphene layers. The results revealed the coexistence of graphitic stacking, as well as the gliding of adjacent graphene layers; with a gliding angle of between 3 and 20. These glide planes were one of the predominant stacking defects in heat-treated fibers. The mixture of graphitic, glide and turbostratic structures was suggested to be a transitional stage on the way to a perfect 3-dimensional stacking.

M.Endo, K.Oshida, K.Kobori, K.Takeuchi, K.Takahashi, M.S.Dresselhaus: Journal of Materials Research, 1995, 10[6], 1461-8