Layer-structured hexagonal (BN)C semiconductor alloys with tunable optical and electrical properties

Journal Article · Fri Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867641· OSTI ID:22277933

Uddin, M. R.; Majety, S.; Li, J.; Lin, J. Y.

Hexagonal boron nitride carbon, h(BN){sub 1-x}(C{sub 2}){sub x}, semiconductor alloys have been grown on sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Bandgap tuning through compositional variation has been demonstrated via optical absorption measurements. Furthermore, an enhancement of approximately 10 orders of magnitude in the electrical conductivity has been attained by increasing the carbon concentration (x) from 0 to 0.21. Experimental results revealed evidences that the critical carbon concentration x{sub c} to form the homogenous h(BN){sub 1-x}(C{sub 2}){sub x} alloys, or the carbon solubility in hBN is about 3.2% at a growth temperature of 1300 °C before carbon clusters form. Based on the predicted phase diagram of cubic (BN){sub 1-x}(C{sub 2}){sub x} and the excellent matches in the structural and thermal properties of hBN and graphite, it is expected that homogenous h(BN){sub 1-x}(C{sub 2}){sub x} alloys with higher x can be achieved and the alloy miscibility gap can be reduced or completely removed by increasing the growth temperature. This is a huge advantage over the InGaN alloy system in which InN decomposes at high temperatures and high growth temperature cannot be utilized to close the miscibility gap. The results indicate that the h(BN){sub 1-x}(C{sub 2}){sub x} alloy system has the potential to tackle the challenging issues facing the emerging two-dimension materials beyond graphene, which include realizing the bandgap engineering, conductivity control, and large wafers of homogeneous films.

• OSTI ID: 22277933
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
BORON NITRIDES
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
GRAPHENE
GRAPHITE
HEXAGONAL LATTICES
INDIUM NITRIDES
LAYERS
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLUBILITY
SUBSTRATES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES