The structure and local chemical properties of boron-terminated tetravacancies in hexagonal boron-nitride

摘要

Imaging and spectroscopy performed in a low-voltage scanning transmissionelectron microscope (LV-STEM) are used to characterize the structure andchemical properties of boron-terminated tetravacancies in hexagonal boronnitride (h-BN). We confirm earlier theoretical predictions about the structureof these defects and identify new features in the electron energy-loss spectra(EELS) of B atoms using high resolution chemical maps, highlighting differencesbetween these areas and pristine sample regions. We correlate our experimentaldata with calculations which help explain our observations.