Adsorption of Se on Cu(100) and formation of two-dimensional copper selenide layer

In order to understand the adsorption process of selenium (Se) and Se-based molecules on noble metal surfaces, we report here on the properties of a thin film of Se on Cu(100) substrate. The deposition was carried out by incubating of a clean Cu(100) surface into Na₂Se solution under controlled conditions. The film properties were analysed as a function of the annealing temperature of the sample, using Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and photoemission techniques. A progressive structural transition from disordered thick layer to a two-dimensional Copper Selenide CuSe thin layer is obtained upon the thermal treatment. Our study proves that a large scale, well-ordered, and highly-stabilized metal chalcogenide layer can be produced for promising use in potential applications.