Due to the restriction in the dimension perpendicular to the surface, the quantum nature of matter plays an important role in surface processes. We utilize low-energy electron microscopy and related techniques to study these processes in situ.
We utilize low-energy electron microscopy and related techniques to study these processes in situ.
In the current projects, we study the growth of two-dimensional materials (graphene, silicene, h-BN, germanene, bismuthene). A detailed understanding of the factors affecting the growth parameters is important to tailor the material properties. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) forms a hexagonal lattice by alternately arranged B and N atoms. The formed sp2 orbital results in a strong σ bond, very similar to graphene. We showed that the polarity of the B-N bond in h-BN plays an important role in the growth of h-BN. This leads, besides the observation of triangular growth morphologies (left movie, 20 μm field of view, 17 eV eletron energy), which are also seen for graphene, also to the observation of trapezoidal growth shapes for h-BN (right movie, 20 μm field of view, 17 eV eletron energy).
