Direct observation of structural phase transformations during continuous phosphorus deposition on Cu(111)

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: David, Jiří, Jeřábek, František, Procházka, Pavel, Černý, Miroslav, Ciobanu, Cristian V., Průša, Stanislav, Šikola, Tomáš, Kodambaka, Suneel, Kolíbal, Miroslav
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866915515272790016
author David, Jiří
Jeřábek, František
Procházka, Pavel
Černý, Miroslav
Ciobanu, Cristian V.
Průša, Stanislav
Šikola, Tomáš
Kodambaka, Suneel
Kolíbal, Miroslav
author_facet David, Jiří
Jeřábek, František
Procházka, Pavel
Černý, Miroslav
Ciobanu, Cristian V.
Průša, Stanislav
Šikola, Tomáš
Kodambaka, Suneel
Kolíbal, Miroslav
contents Blue phosphorene -- two-dimensional, hexagonal-structured, semiconducting phosphorus -- has gained attention as it is considered easier to synthesize on metal surfaces than its allotrope, black phosphorene. Recent studies report different structures of phosphorene, for example, on Cu(111), but the underlying mechanisms of their formation are not known. Here, using a combination of in situ ultrahigh vacuum low-energy electron microscopy and in vacuo scanning tunneling microscopy, we determine the time-evolution of the surface structure and morphology during the deposition of phosphorus on single-crystalline Cu(111). We find that during early stages of deposition, phosphorus intermixes with Cu, resulting in copper phosphide structures. With increasing surface concentration of phosphorus, the phosphide phase disappears and a blue phosphorene layer forms, followed by self-assembly of highly ordered phosphorus clusters that eventually grow into multilayer islands. We attribute the unexpected transformation of stable phosphide to a phosphorene layer, and the previously unreported multilayer growth, to the presence of a large concentration of P2 dimers on the surface. Our results constitute direct evidence for a new growth mode leading to a phosphorene layer via an intermediary phase, which could underpin the growth of other 2D materials on strongly interacting substrates.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_13090
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Direct observation of structural phase transformations during continuous phosphorus deposition on Cu(111)
David, Jiří
Jeřábek, František
Procházka, Pavel
Černý, Miroslav
Ciobanu, Cristian V.
Průša, Stanislav
Šikola, Tomáš
Kodambaka, Suneel
Kolíbal, Miroslav
Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Blue phosphorene -- two-dimensional, hexagonal-structured, semiconducting phosphorus -- has gained attention as it is considered easier to synthesize on metal surfaces than its allotrope, black phosphorene. Recent studies report different structures of phosphorene, for example, on Cu(111), but the underlying mechanisms of their formation are not known. Here, using a combination of in situ ultrahigh vacuum low-energy electron microscopy and in vacuo scanning tunneling microscopy, we determine the time-evolution of the surface structure and morphology during the deposition of phosphorus on single-crystalline Cu(111). We find that during early stages of deposition, phosphorus intermixes with Cu, resulting in copper phosphide structures. With increasing surface concentration of phosphorus, the phosphide phase disappears and a blue phosphorene layer forms, followed by self-assembly of highly ordered phosphorus clusters that eventually grow into multilayer islands. We attribute the unexpected transformation of stable phosphide to a phosphorene layer, and the previously unreported multilayer growth, to the presence of a large concentration of P2 dimers on the surface. Our results constitute direct evidence for a new growth mode leading to a phosphorene layer via an intermediary phase, which could underpin the growth of other 2D materials on strongly interacting substrates.
title Direct observation of structural phase transformations during continuous phosphorus deposition on Cu(111)
topic Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.13090