High-temperature indium adsorption on Bi2Se3(0001) surface studied by in situ reflection electron microscopy

Abstract

Using in situ reflection electron microscopy, transformations of Bi2Se3(0001) surface during In deposition have been studied. We first report the formation of an In-induced surface phase that precedes nucleation and growth of a layered In2Se3 at substrate temperatures around 400 °C. The surface phase nucleates on Bi2Se3(0001) terraces as islands having high In content and a height of 0.4 nm. During continuous In deposition, the area of these islands increases and suppresses Bi2Se3 sublimation from the regions covered by the In-induced surface phase. This locally suppressed sublimation and sublimation-induced ascending motion of Bi2Se3 atomic steps create multilayer triangular star-shaped islands.