Publication Date:
2016-10-11
Description:
Ex situ analyses on topological insulator films require protection against surface contamination during air exposure. This work reports on a technique that combines deposition of protective capping just after epitaxial growth and its mechanical removal inside ultra-high vacuum systems. This method was applied to Bi 2 Te 3 films with thickness varying from 8 to 170 nm. Contrarily to other methods, this technique does not require any sputtering or thermal annealing setups installed inside the analyzing system and preserves both film thickness and surface characteristics. These results suggest that the technique presented here can be expanded to other topological insulator materials.
Electronic ISSN:
2166-532X
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics