Earth & Environmental Sciences

An atomically smooth silica bilayer is transferred from the growth substrate to a new support via mechanical exfoliation at millimeter scale. The atomic structure and morphology are maintained perfectly throughout the process. A simple heating treatment results in complete removal of the transfer medium. Low-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and environmental scanning electron microscopy show the success of the transfer steps. Excellent chemical and thermal stability result from the absence of dangling bonds in the film structure. By adding this wide band gap oxide to the toolbox of 2D materials, possibilities for van der Waals heterostructures will be broadened significantly.