Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Wafer-scale SnSe van der Waals Ultrathin Layers

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Zhang, Qihua, Hilse, Maria, Bardsley, Joshua, Applegate, Morgan, Law, Stephanie
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Zhang, Qihua
Hilse, Maria
Bardsley, Joshua
Applegate, Morgan
Law, Stephanie
author_facet Zhang, Qihua
Hilse, Maria
Bardsley, Joshua
Applegate, Morgan
Law, Stephanie
contents Tin selenide (SnSe) is a van der Waals (vdW) layered post-transition metal monochalcogenide compound which is promising for a wide range of device applications when its thickness is reduced to a few layers. Hence, developing a mature synthesis technique to obtain wafer-scale, high-quality ultrathin SnSe layers is crucial. In this work, we present a comprehensive study on the effect of growth parameters on the material quality of ultrathin SnSe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A growth window including substrate temperature of 210-270°C and low Se/Sn flux ratio with Se valve position of 10-30 mils has been identified which results in SnSe films with root-mean-square (RMS) roughness as low as 0.6 nm and full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.1° in SnSe (400) x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve. Finally, using a three-step growth approach, we demonstrate wafer-scale coalesced ultrathin SnSe layers with thicknesses from 20 nm down to 5 nm, with good crystallinity, structural quality, and surface morphology. This work establishes a growth condition framework for MBE-grown SnSe and presents a viable route for developing wafer-scale single-layer films, unlocking the potential of this highly promising material for advanced device integration.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_23346
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Wafer-scale SnSe van der Waals Ultrathin Layers
Zhang, Qihua
Hilse, Maria
Bardsley, Joshua
Applegate, Morgan
Law, Stephanie
Materials Science
Tin selenide (SnSe) is a van der Waals (vdW) layered post-transition metal monochalcogenide compound which is promising for a wide range of device applications when its thickness is reduced to a few layers. Hence, developing a mature synthesis technique to obtain wafer-scale, high-quality ultrathin SnSe layers is crucial. In this work, we present a comprehensive study on the effect of growth parameters on the material quality of ultrathin SnSe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A growth window including substrate temperature of 210-270°C and low Se/Sn flux ratio with Se valve position of 10-30 mils has been identified which results in SnSe films with root-mean-square (RMS) roughness as low as 0.6 nm and full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.1° in SnSe (400) x-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curve. Finally, using a three-step growth approach, we demonstrate wafer-scale coalesced ultrathin SnSe layers with thicknesses from 20 nm down to 5 nm, with good crystallinity, structural quality, and surface morphology. This work establishes a growth condition framework for MBE-grown SnSe and presents a viable route for developing wafer-scale single-layer films, unlocking the potential of this highly promising material for advanced device integration.
title Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Wafer-scale SnSe van der Waals Ultrathin Layers
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.23346