2025/12/09 by Wang, Kejian, Abel, Mathieu, Fabbri, Filippo +6
Materials Science · #Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials #FOS: Physical sciences #Graphene research and applications #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Thermal properties of materials
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.08428
openalex publication_date 2025/12/09 · openalex created_date 2025/12/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Silicene growth on graphene has emerged as a novel method for fabricating silicon-based van der Waals heterostructures. However, the silicene flakes produced in this manner are the result of an exotic growth mode characterized by metastable nanostructures with varying degrees of deviation from equilibrium, with large two-dimensional flakes surrounded by a rim that coexist with small 3D islands, and, at large deposits, thick dendritic pyramids separated by a denuded zone. In order to rationalize and control this growth, a model is derived that revisits the dewetting thermodynamics and considers generally ignored adsorption and step-edge energies. The model is investigated using kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations and mean-field rate equations, and implemented by close inspection of microscopy images. This model perfectly reproduces the experimental outcomes, unveiling an anomalous growth mode, and provides guidelines on experimental conditions for high-quality silicene growth.