Formation of Inert Bi₂Se₃(0001) Cleaved Surface

Abstract

A high quality inclusion-free Bi2Se3 crystal has been grown by the Bridgman method with the use of a rotating heat field. A large-area atomically flat Bi2Se3(0001) surface of excellent crystallographic quality has been formed by cleavage. Chemical and microstructural properties of the surface have been evaluated with reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), spectroscopic ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. There was no Bi2Se3(0001) surface oxidation detected after over a month in air under ambient conditions as shown by comparative core level spectroscopy, AFM, and STM.