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Type: 
Journal
Description: 
Silicene, a graphene-like Si monolayer, has been so far a fascinating theoretical hypothesis with no experimental counterpart as due to the natural sp 3 hybridization of Si bonding. Artificially forcing the silicene lattice was firstly made possible in the epitaxial growth of a Si monolayer on Ag (111) substrates. Here it is shown through an in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy investigation that unlike graphene, non-trivial atomistic arrangements (reconstructions) can coexist in multiphase silicene nanosheets as due to the balance between planar and buckled bonding. This structural complexity is kinetic in character as it can be governed by tuning the thermal condition during growth or in a post-growth stage, and it is expected to bring absolutely peculiar physical properties. Silicene is intrinsically limited by its intimate chemical instability. An ad hoc engineered Al 2 O 3 encapsulation is proposed for ex situ investigations …
Publisher: 
Publication date: 
1 Mar 2014
Authors: 
Biblio References: 
Volume: 2014 Pages: T51. 001
Origin: 
APS March Meeting Abstracts