10.48788/DVUA/HUMFAMKarbivskyy Volodymyr0000-0003-0412-2788G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics NAS of UkraineSmolyak Svitlana0000-0002-5403-4092G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics NAS of UkraineDataverseUA2026PhysicsMonolayer metal structuresSingle-crystalsScanning tunnelling microscopyScanning tunnelling microscopySmolyak SvitlanaG.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics NAS of UkraineKurdyumov Institute for Metal PhysicsNAS of UkraineSPM&RS Centre, G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics NAS of Ukraine20112026-06-102026-06-12STM data : Topography Image10.15407/mfint.41.03.029733420332698078648668478648671478648666478648665521042765314128060629215314125314125314125314126112image/jpegimage/jpegimage/bmptext/plainimage/bmptext/plainimage/bmptext/plainimage/bmptext/plainimage/tiffimage/tiffimage/bmptext/plainimage/tiffimage/tiffimage/tiffimage/tifftext/plain1.0CC BY 4.0The mechanisms of gold nanorelief formation on van der Waals surfaces of semiconductor single crystals were investigated using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Gold was deposited onto the GaSe (0001) surface by vacuum thermal evaporation without substrate cooling or the use of inert gases. The obtained STM images reveal the morphology and growth features of the resulting gold nanostructures, providing insight into the processes governing their nucleation and surface diffusion.Studies of gold nanostructures on GaSe surfaces were carried out using a JSPM-4610 scanning tunneling microscope under ultrahigh vacuum conditions (~10⁻⁸ Pa). GaSe (0001) single-crystal plates were used as substrates. Clean van der Waals surfaces were prepared by in situ cleavage in a preparation chamber at a vacuum of about 10⁻⁸ Pa. Gold nanostructures on the GaSe (0001) surface were obtained by vacuum thermal deposition of Au. The evaporator consisted of a tungsten spiral containing the metal and positioned inside a cylindrical enclosure with a 3 mm aperture. The distance from the evaporator to the sample was approximately 7 cm. During deposition, a current of 5.0 A was passed through the tungsten spiral, corresponding to temperatures approximately 100 °C above the melting point of the metal. The deposition time was a few seconds. Metal deposition onto the single-crystal surface was carried out without intentional heating or cooling of the substrate and without the use of ambient gases.Kyiv, Ukraine