Metal-Supported High Crystalline Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ Quintuple Layers

Atomically flat thin films of Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ were grown on Au(111) metal substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. Hexagonal atomic structures and quintuple-layer steps were observed at the surfaces of grown films using scanning tunneling microscopy. Multiple sharp peaks from (003) family layers were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements. The atomic stoichiometry of Bi and Se was considered using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Moir\'e patterns were obtained at the surfaces of one quintuple layer films due to lattice mismatch between Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ and Au. Our experiments suggest that Au is a reasonable material for electrodes in Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ devices.