Molecular beam epitaxy growth of monolayer niobium diselenide flakes

Monolayer niobium diselenide (NbSe2) is prepared through molecular beam epitaxy with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) as substrates. Atomic force microscopy and the Raman spectroscopy have shown that the monolayer NbSe2 grown on the hBN possesses triangular or truncated triangular shape whose lateral size amounts up to several hundreds of nanometers. We have found that the precisely controlled supply rate and ultraflat surface of hBN plays an important role in the growth of the monolayer NbSe2.