Atomic Resolution Imaging of CrBr3 Using Adhesion-Enhanced Grids

Nano Lett. 2020 Sep 9;20(9):6582-6589. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02346. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Abstract

Suspended specimens of 2D crystals and their heterostructures are required for a range of studies including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical transmission experiments, and nanomechanical testing. However, investigating the properties of laterally small 2D crystal specimens, including twisted bilayers and air-sensitive materials, has been held back by the difficulty of fabricating the necessary clean suspended samples. Here we present a scalable solution that allows clean free-standing specimens to be realized with 100% yield by dry-stamping atomically thin 2D stacks onto a specially developed adhesion-enhanced support grid. Using this new capability, we demonstrate atomic resolution imaging of defect structures in atomically thin CrBr3, a novel magnetic material that degrades in ambient conditions.

Keywords: 2D Crystal transfer; Graphene encapsulation; Magnetic 2D materials; Suspended devices; TEM.