Pulsed laser deposition of single layer, hexagonal boron nitride (white graphene, h-BN) on fiber-oriented Ag(111)/SrTiO{sub 3}(001)

Journal Article · Mon Mar 07 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4943174· OSTI ID:22597027

Velázquez, Daniel; Seibert, Rachel; Spentzouris, Linda; Terry, Jeff ^[1]; Man, Hamdi ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616 (United States)

We report on the growth of 1–10 ML films of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), also known as white graphene, on fiber-oriented Ag buffer films on SrTiO{sub 3}(001) by pulsed laser deposition. The Ag buffer films of 40 nm thickness were used as substitutes for expensive single crystal metallic substrates. In-situ, reflection high-energy electron diffraction was used to monitor the surface structure of the Ag films and to observe the formation of the characteristic h-BN diffraction pattern. Further evidence of the growth of h-BN was provided by attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, which showed the characteristic h-BN peaks at ∼780 cm{sup −1} and 1367.4 cm{sup −1}. Ex-situ photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the surface of the h-BN films is stoichiometric. The physical structure of the films was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The h-BN films grew as large, sub-millimeter sheets with nano- and micro-sheets scattered on the surface. The h-BN sheets can be exfoliated by the micromechanical adhesive tape method. Spectral analysis was performed by energy dispersive spectroscopy in order to identify the h-BN sheets after exfoliation. The use of thin film Ag allows for reduced use of Ag and makes it possible to adjust the surface morphology of the thin film prior to h-BN growth.

• OSTI ID: 22597027
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BORON NITRIDES
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
FIBERS
GRAPHENE
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
LAYERS
MONOCRYSTALS
MORPHOLOGY
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PULSED IRRADIATION
PULSES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SHEETS
SILVER
STRONTIUM TITANATES
SURFACES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS