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Two-dimensional antimonene has attracted much attention because of its excellent stability and remarkable physical properties. Understanding the growth mechanism of antimonene by investigating processing parameters and structural properties is necessary for developing reliable fabrication methods. In this study, NaCl-assisted van der Waals epitaxy, one of the methods for scale-up fabrication, is employed to achieve atomic layer antimonene with high coverage rate. Furthermore, high-resolution images of atomic structure are presented with the powerful transmission electron microscopy, helping us confirm the exact configuration of antimonene. Meanwhile, we studied the effect of electron beam irradiation on antimonene; it was found that the stacking structure of antimonene would change under electron beam irradiation, and the moiré patterns of twisted few-layered antimonene were also observed. These results provide comprehensive study of growth mechanisms and in-depth knowledge of antimonene nanostructure, which are expected to facilitate the development of controllable fabrication for future device applications. The different reaction pathways induced by electron beam irradiation with the in situ TEM imaging of the evolution of the microstructure of antimonene: knock-on effects and formation of Moiré patterns. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the titanium germanosilicide (TiSiGe x) superlattice (SL) has been successfully fabricated. A monolayer of silicon atoms and bilayer of inversed titanium silicide constructed this novel superlattice periodically. A localized strain field has been found as a crucial factor via high resolution Annular Dark Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (ADF-STEM) images, being generated by gradual segregation of germanium atoms. Germanium atoms would be excluded during the formation of the transition silicide. This phenomenon could be interpreted by thermodynamic preference. There was a substitution reaction between silicon and germanium, resulting from similar atomic volumes of both. In other words, germanium segregation pathway was based on where substitution occurred. Eventually, the excluded germanium atoms tended to accumulate at the boundary of TiSiGe x -SL, contributing to a discontinuous thin film layer. A novel titanium disilicide superlattice structure has been observed under in-situ transmission electron microscope at 750 °C. The preferred reaction pathway occurred from the titanium layer to the silicon germanium substrate, eventually forming the island-like superlattice. Additionally, germanium played a significant role in the emergence of the superlattice structure. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]