Coherent consolidation of trillions of nucleations for mono-atom step-level flat surfaces

Taewoo Ha, Yu-Seong Seo, Teun-Teun Kim, Bipin Lamichhane, Young-Hoon Kim, Su Jae Kim, Yousil Lee, Jong Chan Kim, Sang Eon Park, Kyung Ik Sim, Jae Hoon Kim, Yong In Kim, Seon Je Kim, Hu Young Jeong, Young Hee Lee, Seong-Gon Kim (), Young-Min Kim (), Jungseek Hwang () and Se-Young Jeong ()
Additional contact information
Taewoo Ha: Sungkyunkwan University
Yu-Seong Seo: Sungkyunkwan University
Teun-Teun Kim: University of Ulsan
Bipin Lamichhane: Mississippi State University
Young-Hoon Kim: Sungkyunkwan University
Su Jae Kim: Pusan National University
Yousil Lee: Pusan National University
Jong Chan Kim: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Engineering
Sang Eon Park: Pusan National University
Kyung Ik Sim: Sungkyunkwan University
Jae Hoon Kim: Yonsei University
Yong In Kim: Sungkyunkwan University
Seon Je Kim: Sungkyunkwan University
Hu Young Jeong: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Engineering
Young Hee Lee: Sungkyunkwan University
Seong-Gon Kim: Mississippi State University
Young-Min Kim: Sungkyunkwan University
Jungseek Hwang: Sungkyunkwan University
Se-Young Jeong: Pusan National University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Constructing a mono-atom step-level ultra-flat material surface is challenging, especially for thin films, because it is prohibitively difficult for trillions of clusters to coherently merge. Even though a rough metal surface, as well as the scattering of carriers at grain boundaries, limits electron transport and obscures their intrinsic properties, the importance of the flat surface has not been emphasised sufficiently. In this study, we describe in detail the initial growth of copper thin films required for mono-atom step-level flat surfaces (MSFSs). Deposition using atomic sputtering epitaxy leads to the coherent merging of trillions of islands into a coplanar layer, eventually forming an MSFS, for which the key factor is suggested to be the individual deposition of single atoms. Theoretical calculations support that single sputtered atoms ensure the formation of highly aligned nanodroplets and help them to merge into a coplanar layer. The realisation of the ultra-flat surfaces is expected to greatly assist efforts to improve quantum behaviour by increasing the coherency of electrons.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36301-w

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