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Published on: September 18, 2018
Large scale growth and characterization of atomic hexagonal boron nitride layers
1Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
Nano Letters
|August 12, 2010
Summary
Large-area synthesis of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films was achieved. These "white graphene" films are transparent, have a wide band gap, and exhibit excellent mechanical properties for advanced electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a layered material analogous to graphite.
- Monolayer h-BN, termed "white graphene", is a potential 2D dielectric substrate for graphene electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the large-area synthesis of few-layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films.
- To characterize the optical and mechanical properties of synthesized h-BN films.
Main Methods:
- Large-area synthesis of h-BN films (2-5 atomic layers) using chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
- Optical energy band gap measurement.
- Nanoindentation for mechanical property analysis.
- Theoretical calculations for corroboration.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized large-area h-BN films with 2-5 atomic layers.
- Measured a large optical energy band gap of 5.5 eV.
- Observed high transparency across a broad wavelength range.
- Determined a 2D elastic modulus of 200-500 N/m, consistent with theoretical predictions.
Conclusions:
- Few-layer h-BN films can be synthesized over large areas using CVD.
- These h-BN films possess favorable optical and mechanical properties for applications as dielectric substrates.
- The findings support the use of h-BN as a complementary material in graphene-based electronic devices.
