Wafer-Scale Single-Crystal Boron Nitride: Synthesis and Integration in 2D Electronics

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has become a cornerstone dielectric and encapsulation material for next-generation 2D electronics. Its atomically flat surface, wide bandgap, chemical stability, low trap density, and high in-plane thermal conductivity collectively enhance carrier mobility, suppress Coulomb and remote phonon scattering, and enable efficient heat dissipation across a range of 2D devices. Translating these properties into practical technologies demands wafer-scale synthesis of hBN films with precise control over thickness, crystallographic orientation, and stacking sequence, along with integration schemes compatible with semiconductor manufacturing. This Review highlights recent advances in scalable vapor-phase synthesis of hBN, emphasizing self-limiting growth mechanisms and epitaxial strategies that yield single-crystalline and stacking-engineered films. We discuss transfer and direct-integration methods for embedding hBN into 2D architectures and correlate synthesis parameters with device-level metrics. Key challenges and future directions are outlined for establishing hBN as a manufacturable platform for high-performance, wafer-scale 2D electronics.