The interface between metals and semiconductors plays an essential role in two-dimensional electronic heterostructures, which has provided an alternative opportunity to realize next-generation electronic devices. Lattice-matched two-dimensional heterointerfaces have been achieved in polymorphic 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides MX 2 with M = (W, Mo) and X = (Te, Se, S) through phase engineering; yet other transition-metal chalcogenides have been rarely reported.Here we show that a single layer of hexagonal Cu 2 Te crystal could be synthesized by one-step liquid−solid interface growth and exfoliation. Characterizations of atomically resolved scanning tunneling microscope reveal that the Cu 2 Te monolayer consists of two lattice-matched distinct phases, similar to the 1T and 1T′ phases of MX 2 . The scanning tunneling spectra identify the coexistence of the metallic 1T and semiconducting 1T′ phases within the chemically homogeneous Cu 2 Te crystals, as confirmed by density functional theory calculations. Moreover, the two phases could form nanoscale lattice-matched metal− semiconductor junctions with atomically sharp interfaces. These results suggest a promising potential for exploiting atomicscale electronic devices in 2D materials.
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