  Transition-metal chalcogenides (TMCs) materials have attracted increasing
interest both for fundamental research and industrial applications. Among all
these materials, two-dimensional (2D) compounds with honeycomb-like structure
possess exotic electronic structures. Here, we report a systematic study of TMC
monolayer AgTe fabricated by direct depositing Te on the surface of Ag(111) and
annealing. Few intrinsic defects are observed and studied by scanning tunneling
microscopy, indicating that there are two kinds of AgTe domains and they can
form gliding twin-boundary. Then, the monolayer AgTe can serve as the template
for the following growth of Te film. Meanwhile, some Te atoms are observed in
the form of chains on the top of the bottom Te film. Our findings in this work
might provide insightful guide for the epitaxial growth of 2D materials for
study of novel physical properties and for future quantum devices.
