X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Borophene Nanoelectronic Materials
Abstract
The recent experimental realization of 2D boron (i.e., borophene) has spurred broad interest in its unique material attributes suchas in-plane anisotropy, seamless phase intermixing, high mechanical strength and flexibility, massless Dirac fermions, and phonon-mediated superconductivity. The polymorphic nature of borophene, which is rooted in the rich bonding configurations among boron atoms, further distinguishes it from other 2D materials and offers an additional means for tailoring its material properties. However, the atomically thin nature of borophene presents a potentially even larger opportunity for modulating and exploiting its nanoelectronic properties through surface and interface engineering. In ongoing ONR-funded work, the Hersam Laboratory has been employing atomically precise synthesis, functionalization, and characterization methods to understand and engineer surfaces and interfaces in borophene nanoelectronic materials. To accelerate and expand the development of this ONR-supported work, this DURIP proposal seeks an X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) system, which will be integrated with the multi-chamber ultrahigh vacuum apparatus in the Hersam Laboratory that is currently used for atomic-scale synthesis and characterization of borophene using molecular beam epitaxy and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), respectively. Importantly, the proposed XPS system possesses a 128-channel detectorthat enables unambiguous peak fitting in the sub-eV range, which is critical to extracting chemical information that complements the physical and electron structure derived from STM/STS. This proposed XPS system will enable and accelerate diverse new borophene science including: (1) Revealing the growth mechanisms and substrate interactions for borophene on novel supports including platinum and hexagonal boron nitride; (2) Providing chemical insight into novel borophene nanostructures including borophene nanoribbons and borophene beyond the single-atomic-layer limit; (3) Elucidating the surface chemistry of chemically modified and encapsulated borophene. Overall, when combined with STM/STS, the proposed XPS system will provide comprehensive characterization of the atomic, electronic, and chemical structure of borophene nanoelectronic materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 11, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312822
Entities
People
- Mark Hersam
Organizations
- Northwestern University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy