Comparative Study of the Microstructure of Bi₂Se₃ Thin Films Grown on Si(111) and InP(111) Substrates

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been carried out to clarify the microstructure of Bi2Se3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si(111) and InP(111) substrates. The film grown on InP displays much better overall quality at the microstructural level than does the film grown on the Si substrate. A layer of poor crystalline quality at the interface followed by well-crystallized Bi2Se3 has been observed for both substrates. The thickness of this interface layer is not uniform; it varies across the sample from zero, showing a sharp interface between the substrate and Bi2Se3, up to ∼1 nm and ∼1.8 nm for Bi2Se3/InP and Bi2Se3/Si, respectively. Formation of rotation twin domains and lamellar twins has been observed and is described in detail for both substrates.