Selective Sputtering and Atomic Resolution Imaging of Atomically Thin Boron Nitride Membranes

Meyer, Jannik C.; Chuvilin, Andrey; Algara‐Siller, Gerardo; Biskupek, Johannes; Kaiser, Ute

doi:10.1021/nl9011497

Cited by 509 publications

(496 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(59 reference statements)

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“…Reconstructions of vacancies and StoneϪWales transformations have been observed by in situ electron microscopy (J. Kotakoski et al, submitted for publication). 6 Defects can also be generated in preselected positions with a highly focused electron beam or by using masking techniques. Modern electron microscopes with aberration-corrected condensers allow focusing an electron beam onto a spot of approximately 1 Å in diameter thereby creating vacancies with almost atomic selectivity.…”

Section: Generation Of Defectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Defects in Graphene

2010

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Graphene is one of the most promising materials in nanotechnology. The electronic and mechanical properties of graphene samples with high perfection of the atomic lattice are outstanding, but structural defects, which may appear during growth or processing, deteriorate the performance of graphenebased devices. However, deviations from perfection can be useful in some applications, as they make it possible to tailor the local properties of graphene and to achieve new functionalities. In this article, the present knowledge about point and line defects in graphene are reviewed. Particular emphasis is put on the unique ability of graphene to reconstruct its lattice around intrinsic defects, leading to interesting effects and potential applications. Extrinsic defects such as foreign atoms which are of equally high importance for designing graphene-based devices with dedicated properties are also discussed.

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Section: Generation Of Defectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Defects in Graphene

2010

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“…For example, plasmas or directional bombardment of N 2 þ and/or Ar þ ions are often used for h-BN thin film deposition 10,15,17,18,20,[22][23][24][25][26] and BN nanotube formation. 27,28 Also, nanoribbons 29,30 and fullerenes 28,31 of BN have been produced with the help of electron beam irradiation. Point defects are thus readily formed as result of the regular synthesis processes in an uncontrolled way, but they can be intentionally generated to modify the characteristics of BN, for instance by irradiation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Point defects in hexagonal BN, BC3 and BCxN compounds studied by x-ray absorption near-edge structure

Caretti

Jiménez

2011

Journal of Applied Physics

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The generation of point defects in highly oriented pyrolytic boron nitride (HOPBN) after Ar þ ion bombardment in ultrahigh vacuum and subsequent exposure to air was studied by angle-resolved x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). The pristine HOPBN showed well-oriented boron nitride (BN) basal planes parallel to the surface, with a negligible amount of defects. Amorphization of the BN structure took place after Ar þ sputtering, as indicated by the broadening of the XANES spectra and significant decrease of the characteristic p* states. Following air exposure, the XANES analysis revealed a spontaneous reorganization of the sample structure. The appearance of four new B1s p* excitonic peaks indicates an oxygen decoration process of the nitrogen vacancies created by ion bombardment. A core-level shift model is presented to support this statement. This model is successfully extended to the case of oxygen substitutional defects in hexagonal BC 3 and BC x N (0 < x < 4) materials, which can be applied to any B-based sp 2 -bonded honeycomb structure.

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“…During imaging, however, energetic electrons in the TEM can give rise to production of defects due to ballistic displacements of atoms from the sample and beam-stimulated chemical etching [19], as studies on h-BN membranes also indicate [15][16][17]20].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Characterization of the h-BN [15][16][17] and TMD [5,6,18] samples has extensively been carried out using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). During imaging, however, energetic electrons in the TEM can give rise to production of defects due to ballistic displacements of atoms from the sample and beam-stimulated chemical etching [19], as studies on h-BN membranes also indicate [15][16][17]20].…”

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confidence: 99%

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides under Electron Irradiation: Defect Production and Doping

et al. 2012

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Using first-principles atomistic simulations, we study the response of atomically-thin layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) -a new class of two-dimensional inorganic materials with unique electronic properties -to electron irradiation. We calculate displacement threshold energies for atoms in 21 different compounds and estimate the corresponding electron energies required to produce defects. For a representative structure of MoS2, we carry out high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments and validate our theoretical predictions via observations of vacancy formation under exposure to a 80 keV electron beam. We further show that TMDs can be doped by filling the vacancies created by the electron beam with impurity atoms. Thereby, our results not only shed light on the radiation response of a system with reduced dimensionality, but also suggest new ways for engineering the electronic structure of TMDs. [6,7]. Recently, TMDs with a common structural formula MeX 2 , where Me stands for transition metals (Mo, W, Ti, etc.) and X for chalcogens (S, Se, Te), have received considerable attention. These 2D materials are expected to have electronic properties varying from metals to wide-gap semiconductors, similar to their bulk counterparts [8,9], and excellent mechanical characteristics [10]. The monolayer TMD materials have already shown a good potential in nanoelectronic [3,11,12] and photonic [4,13,14] applications.Characterization of the h-BN [15-17] and TMD [5,6,18] samples has extensively been carried out using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). During imaging, however, energetic electrons in the TEM can give rise to production of defects due to ballistic displacements of atoms from the sample and beam-stimulated chemical etching [19], as studies on h-BN membranes also indicate [15][16][17]20].Contrary to h-BN, very little is known about the effects of electron irradiation on TMDs. So far, atomic defects have been observed via HR-TEM in WS 2 nanoribbons encapsulated inside carbon nanotubes at electron acceleration voltage of 60 kV [21] as well as at the edges of MoS 2 clusters under 80 kV irradiation [22], while no significant damage or amorphization was reported for MoS 2 sheets at 200 kV [18] -a surprising result taking into account the relatively low atomic mass of the S atom. Clearly, precise microscopic knowledge of defect production in TMDs under electron irradiation is highly desirable for assessing the effects of the beam on the samples. This knowledge would allow designing experimental conditions required to minimize damage, as well as developing beam-mediated post-synthesis doping techniques. Moreover, information on the displacement thresholds is important in the context of fundamental aspects of the interaction of beams of energetic particles with solids, as the reduced dimensionality may give rise to an irradiation response different from that in the bulk counterpart of the 2D material [23].Here, by employing first-principles simulations, we study the ...

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Selective Sputtering and Atomic Resolution Imaging of Atomically Thin Boron Nitride Membranes

Cited by 509 publications

References 39 publications

Structural Defects in Graphene

Structural Defects in Graphene

Point defects in hexagonal BN, BC3 and BCxN compounds studied by x-ray absorption near-edge structure

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides under Electron Irradiation: Defect Production and Doping

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