Formation of two-dimensional uranium silicide film and its electronic structure study

Uranium (U) deposition onto the Si (1 1 1) − 7×7 surface followed by annealing at 870 K for 6 min leads to the formation of 2D uranium silicide (USi1.67) film. The morphology and geometric structure have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The AlB2-type structure of USi1.67 epitaxial film is formed with a 1×1 periodicity. Morphologies of the crystalline USi1.67 film display triangular layered structures, and its electronic structure has been studied by a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory calculations.