Fabrication of tin monosulfide nanosheet arrays using laser ablation

We demonstrate the non-catalytic, low-temperature (∼200°C) synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) tin monosulfide (SnS) nanosheet arrays vertically aligned on the substrate by means of pulsed laser ablation (PLD) process. The prepared nanosheets were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission electron microscopy, electron probe micro-analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The growth mechanism of 2D morphological feature, which is widespread but very slim (∼10 nm), is further investigated in detail from the crystallographic point of view by observing highly-resolved lattice images taken from plane-normal and in-plane directions using focused ion-beam manipulation and high-resolution transmission microscopy.