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Scanning probe microscopy induced surface modifications of the topological insulator Bi2Te3in different environments
- Source :
- Nanotechnology. 28:335706
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- IOP Publishing, 2017.
-
Abstract
- We investigated the topological insulator (TI) Bi2Te3 in four different environments (ambient, ultra-high vacuum (UHV), nitrogen gas and organic solvent environment) using scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques. Upon prolonged exposure to ambient conditions and organic solvent environments the cleaved surface of the pristine Bi2Te3 is observed to be strongly modified during SPM measurements, while imaging of freshly cleaved Bi2Te3 in UHV and nitrogen gas shows considerably less changes of the Bi2Te3 surface. We conclude that the reduced surface stability upon exposure to ambient conditions is triggered by adsorption of molecular species from ambient, including H2O, CO2, etc which is verified by Auger electron spectroscopy. Our findings of the drastic impact of exposure to ambient on the Bi2Te3 surface are crucial for further in-depth studies of the intrinsic properties of the TI Bi2Te3 and for potential applications that include room temperature TI based devices operated under ambient conditions.
- Subjects :
- Surface (mathematics)
Auger electron spectroscopy
Materials science
Mechanical Engineering
Organic solvent
Analytical chemistry
Bioengineering
02 engineering and technology
General Chemistry
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
01 natural sciences
Prolonged exposure
Scanning probe microscopy
Adsorption
Mechanics of Materials
Topological insulator
0103 physical sciences
Nitrogen gas
General Materials Science
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
010306 general physics
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 13616528 and 09574484
- Volume :
- 28
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nanotechnology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........43f69065a7e1979b8329e9f1ac81d995