Annealing of ion-irradiated hexagonal boron nitride on Ir(111)

Annealing of a monolayer of hexagonal boron nitride destroyed by Xe ion irradiation gives rise to rich structural phenomena investigated here through a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. We find selective pinning of vacancy clusters at a single specific location within the moire formed by hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and the Ir substrate, crystalline Xe at room temperature of monolayer and bilayer thickness sealed inside h-BN blisters, standalone blisters only bound to the metal at temperatures where boron nitride on Ir(111) decomposes, and finally a pronounced threefold symmetry of all morphological features due to the preferential formation of boron-terminated zigzag edges that firmly bind to the substrate. The investigations give clear insight into the relevance of the substrate for the damage creation and annealing in a two-dimensional layer material.