Growth of self-assembled Mn, Sb and MnSb nanostructures on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The surface morphology of Mn, Sb and MnSb nanostructures grown on highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) has been studied in detail with scanning tunneling microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum. At the initial stage of growth, three dimensional (3D) clusters and islands of Mn, Sb and MnSb are formed at step edges and other defect sites. In middle stage, crystalline 2D islands and 1D nanorods of Sb can be observed together with crystalline 3D islands, whereas single- and double-layer cluster chains of Mn are obtained at room temperature (RT). MnSb crystallites form after deposition of both Mn and Sb on HOPG surface and annealing at T ~ 375 K. The ex-situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurement revealed the formation of MnSb compound on graphite. Ferromagnetism was observed at RT for the 50-nm MnSb thin film using vibrating sample magnetometer.

► Mn, Sb and MnSb nanostructures grown on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG).
► Nanostructures grown in ultra-high vacuum; studied by scanning tunneling microscopy.
► Formation of single and double layer Mn cluster chains on HOPG at room temperature.
► 3D islands, 2D film and 1D nanorods of Sb grown on HOPG at different conditions.
► Ferromagnetic MnSb thin film grown on HOPG with co-deposition of Mn and Sb.