Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride and Its in-Plane Heterostructures with Graphene

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an attractive two-dimensional (2D) dielectric material and thus its heterostructures with graphene are gaining a great deal of attention for potential applications in 2D materials. In this talk, I first present the growth of single-layer and multilayer h-BN in large area by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) method. Both of single-layer and multilayer h-BN are characterized to be highly crystalline by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Next, I demonstrate a new chemical route for heterostructures of h-BN and graphene on Pt foil by LPCVD, in which the Pt substrate plays a catalytic role. I propose that this reaction proceeds through h-BN hydrogenation on Pt step edges; subsequent graphene growth quickly replaces the initially etched region. Importantly, this conversion reaction enables the controlled formation of patterned in-plane graphene/h-BN heterostructures, without needing the commonly employed protecting mask, simply by using a patterned Pt substrate.