Studying the Synthesis of Few-Layer CVD h-BN for Graphene Devices

Hexagonal boron nitride’s (h-BN) high in-plane mechanical strength and chemical inertness support its role in many applications including protective coatings, transparent membranes and deep ultraviolet emitters. In particular, h-BN has a unique role as a dielectric layer when paired with graphene due to its similar lattice spacing and large bandgap. In order to optimize these effects, we need control over the properties of h-BN films, including layer number, grain size and crystal quality. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis of h-BN has been the subject of intense research. Here we outline the growth dynamics of few-layer single crystal h-BN. We report the role of conditions such as cooling rate, hydrogen flow and catalyst temperature and characterize our films using scanning electron microscopy to study the overall growth mechanism.