(a) STM image of germanene. (b) Profile (black line in (a)) showing step heights of ~3.2 Å. (c) High-resolution STM image (distorted by sample drift). (d) Profiles along the white continuous and dashed lines in (c) showing a ~9–10 Å separation between protrusions having heights of ~0.2 Å. (e) Electron diffraction pattern. (f) Model of germanene on Au(111).[1]
Germanene is a material made up of a single layer of germanium atoms.[2] The material is created in a process similar to that of silicene and graphene, in which high vacuum and high temperature are used to deposit a layer of germanium atoms on a substrate.[2][3][4] High-quality thin films of germanene have revealed unusual two-dimensional structures with novel electronic properties suitable for semiconductor device applications and materials science research.