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Surface etching and edge control of hexagonal boron nitride assisted by triangular Sn nanoplates
Hsin Yi1, Pablo Solís-Fernández2, Hiroki Hibino3
1Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka 816-8580 Japan ago.hiroki.974@m.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Nanoscale Advances
|September 22, 2022
Summary
Tin (Sn) forms unique triangular nanoplates on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrates. These nanoplates move, creating trenches and pits, offering new ways to engineer hBN surfaces for 2D material applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) serves as a crucial substrate for 2D materials.
- Group IV elements, like tin (Sn), exhibit interesting properties when combined with hBN.
- Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a key method for growing high-quality hBN.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavior of tin (Sn) on multilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).
- To explore the formation and movement of Sn nanostructures on hBN.
- To understand the surface engineering potential of Sn-hBN interactions.
Main Methods:
- Thermal deposition of tin (Sn) onto CVD-grown multilayer hBN.
- High-temperature annealing experiments.
- Low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) for surface analysis.
- Argon (Ar) annealing to induce structural changes.
Main Results:
- Triangular Sn nanoplates formed on hBN, with orientations dictated by the hBN lattice.
- Sn nanoplates migrated across the hBN surface, creating monolayer-deep nanotrenches.
- Nanotrenches were observed to align with the armchair directions of the hBN.
- Subsequent Ar annealing transformed trenches into triangular pits, revealing preferential zigzag edge formation.
Conclusions:
- Tin exhibits unique surface mobility and self-assembly behavior on hexagonal boron nitride.
- The interaction between Sn and hBN provides a novel method for surface patterning and defect engineering.
- This study opens avenues for controlled fabrication of 2D material heterostructures.
