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arXiv · 1306.5523

Combined AFM and STM measurements of a silicene sheet grown on Ag(111) surface

Zsolt Majzik·Mohamed Rachid Tchalala·Martin Švec·Prokop Hapala·Hanna Enriquez·Abdelkader Kara·Andrew J. Mayne·Gérald Dujardin·Pavel Jelínek·Hamid Oughaddou
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Abstract

In this Letter, we present the first non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) of a silicene on silver (Ag) surface, obtained by combining non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM images over large areas of silicene grown on Ag(111) surface show both (sqrt13xsqrt13)R13.9° and (4x4) superstructures. For the widely observed (4x4) structure, the nc-AFM topography shows an atomic-scale contrast inversion as the tip-surface distance is decreased. At the shortest tip-surface distance, the nc-AFM topography is very similar to the STM one. The observed structure in the nc-AFM topography is compatible with only one out of two silicon atoms being visible. This indicates unambiguously a strong buckling of the silicene honeycomb layer.

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Zsolt Majzik, Mohamed Rachid Tchalala, Martin Švec, Prokop Hapala, Hanna Enriquez, Abdelkader Kara, Andrew J. Mayne, Gérald Dujardin, Pavel Jelínek, Hamid Oughaddou. 2013-06-24. Combined AFM and STM measurements of a silicene sheet grown on Ag(111) surface. https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984%2F25%2F22%2F225301

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