# Germanene termination of Ge${_2}$Pt crystals on Ge(110)

## TL;DR

This study demonstrates the formation of a germanene-like layer on Ge2Pt nanocrystals grown on Ge(110), revealing a honeycomb structure with properties similar to predicted germanene.

## Contribution

It provides experimental evidence for germanene formation on Ge2Pt nanocrystals, advancing understanding of 2D germanene layers on metal-semiconductor interfaces.

## Key findings

- Honeycomb structure with 2.5 Å nearest-neighbor distance.
- Outer layer is more metallic than underlying layers.
- Proposed layer is a germanene-like 2D material.

## Abstract

We have investigated the growth of Pt on Ge(110) using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The deposition of several monolayers of Pt on Ge(110) followed by annealing at 1100 K results in the formation of three-dimensional metallic Pt-Ge nanocrystals. The outermost layer of these crystals exhibits a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure is composed of two hexagonal sub-lattices that are displaced vertically by 0.2 {\AA} with respect to each other. The nearest-neighbor distance of the atoms in the honeycomb lattice is 2.5${\pm}$0.1 {\AA}, i.e. very close to the predicted nearest-neighbor distance in germanene (2.4 {\AA}). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals that the atomic layer underneath the honeycomb layer is more metallic than the honeycomb layer itself. These observations are in line with a model recently proposed for metal di-(silicides/)germanides: a hexagonal crystal with metal layers separated by semiconductor layers with a honeycomb lattice. Based on our observations we propose that the outermost layer of the Ge2Pt nanocrystal is a germanene layer.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1706.00697