Oxygen-etching of h-BN/Ru(0001) nanomesh on the nano- and mesoscopic scale
The stability of the recently discovered b-BN/Ru(0001) nanomesh is of crucial importance for potential applications as a nanotemplate. In particular, thermal stability in oxygen environment is important for nanocatalysis applications. We report here on the etching experiments of the h-BN layer by molecular oxygen exposure at elevated temperatures. This process is studied both by scanning tunneling