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Silicene is one of the most promising 2D materials for the realization ofnext-generation electronic devices, owing to its high carrier mobility andbandgap tunability through the imposition of an external electric field. Toexploit this fundamental characteristic, it is necessary to engineer aninsulating layer that can be interfaced directly to silicene without perturbingits bidimensional nature. At the same time, this insulating layer shouldexhibit low leakage currents even when highly scaled, to fully exploit theadvantages of using a 2D material at the core of the device. CaF$_2$ is knownto form a quasi van der Waals interface with 2D materials, as well as tomaintain its insulating properties even at ultrathin scales. Here weinvestigate the growth of CaF$_2$ layers on silicene by molecular beam epitaxy:diffraction images show that CaF$_2$ grows epitaxially on silicene/Ag(111),with its domains fully aligned to the 2D silicon lattice. In-situ XPS analysisevidences that no changes in the chemical state of the silicon atoms can bedetected upon CaF$_2$ deposition, excluding the formation of covalent bondsbetween Ca, F and Si. Polarized Raman analysis shows that silicene undergoes astructural change upon interaction with CaF$_2$, however retaining abidimensional character and without transitioning to a sp3-hybridized,bulk-like silicon.

Epitaxial growth of crystalline CaF$_2$ on silicene