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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

The true corrugation of a h-BN nanomesh layer

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Author(s):
de Lima, L. H. [1, 2] ; Greber, T. [3] ; Muntwiler, M. [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Paul Scherrer Inst, Photon Sci Div, CH-5232 Villigen - Switzerland
[2] Univ Fed ABC Santo Andre, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, BR-09210580 Santo Andre, SP - Brazil
[3] Univ Zurich, Inst Phys, CH-8057 Zurich - Switzerland
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: 2D MATERIALS; v. 7, n. 3 JUL 2020.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanomesh, a two-dimensional insulating monolayer, grown on the (111) surface of rhodium exhibits an intriguing hexagonal corrugation pattern with a lattice constant of 3.2 nm. Despite numerous experimental and theoretical studies no quantitative agreement has been found on some details of the adsorption geometry such as the corrugation amplitude. The issue highlights the differences in chemical and electronic environment in the strongly bound pore regions and the weakly bound wire regions of the corrugated structure. For reliable results it is important to probe the structure with a method that is intrinsically sensitive to the position of the atomic cores rather than the electron density of states. In this work, we determine the corrugation of h-BN nanomesh from angle- and energy-resolved photoelectron diffraction measurements with chemical state resolution. By combining the results from angle and energy scans and comparing them to multiple-scattering simulations true adsorbate-substrate distance can be measured with high precision, avoiding pitfalls of apparent topography observed in scanning probe techniques. Our experimental results give accurate values for the peak-to-peak corrugation amplitude (0.80 angstrom), the bonding distance to the substrate (2.20 angstrom) and the buckling of the boron and nitrogen atoms in the strongly bound pore regions (0.07 angstrom). These results are important for the development of theoretical methods that involve a quantitative description of van der Waals systems as required for the understanding of the physics of two-dimensional sp(2) layers. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 16/21402-8 - Growth and characterization of two-dimensional heterostructures: transition metal dichalcogenides on graphene and hexagonal boron nitride
Grantee:Luis Henrique de Lima
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral