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Study on the Adhesion Properties of Graphene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Monolayers in Multilayered Micro-devices by Scratch Adhesion Test

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Abstract

The interlayer adhesion in the multilayered micro-devices is of significant importance for their electronic properties. The scratch adhesion test is applied here using a micro-blade sliding under a linearly increased load, combined with optical and SEM visualization, to study the Al2O3/GR/SiO2/Si and Al2O3/hBN/GR/SiO2/Si stacks. The failure of the interlayers is determined by the critical load at which a sudden change in the coefficient of friction or a jump in the contact acoustic emission signal is observed during the scratch. It was found that the hBN/GR bilayer deposited on SiO2 enhanced significantly (~30%) the critical load of the GR/SiO2 interfacial failure compared to that of the GR monolayer. The adhesion at the upper Al2O3/hBN, hBN/GR and Al2O3/GR layers in the stack was improved by 11–15%, due to the thermal annealing, associated with enhanced solid-state diffusion at the interfaces. While the annealing has insufficient effect on the adhesion at the substrate SiO2/Si layers. The scratch adhesion test was proven here as a suitable fast technique for control on the adhesion between layers in the multilayered structures, in order to be proposed for quality control on the fabrication process and the operational performances of micro-/nano-devices.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported from the Project H2020-SGA-FET-GRAPHENE-2017-785219 Graphene Core 2 and H2020-SGA-FET-GRAPHENE-2019-881603 Graphene Core 3. The authors E.I., T.B. and R.K. would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Project MIRACle No. BG05M2OP001-1.002-0011 and the DO-06-COST/11 Project supported by the BGNSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Open Laboratory on Experimental Micro and Nano Mechanics (OLEM), Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Block 4, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Evgeni Ivanov, Todor Batakaliev & Rumiana Kotsilkova

  2. Research and Development of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies (NanoTech Lab Ltd.), Acad. G. Bonchev Str. Block 4, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Evgeni Ivanov & Todor Batakaliev

  3. Advanced Microelectronic Center Aachen, AMO GmbH, Aachen, Germany

    Martin Otto & Daniel Neumaier

  4. University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany

    Daniel Neumaier

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  1. Evgeni Ivanov
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  2. Todor Batakaliev
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Correspondence to Evgeni Ivanov.

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Ivanov, E., Batakaliev, T., Kotsilkova, R. et al. Study on the Adhesion Properties of Graphene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Monolayers in Multilayered Micro-devices by Scratch Adhesion Test. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 30, 5673–5681 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-021-05877-z

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