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Formation of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene-covered copper surfaces

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Abstract

Graphene-covered copper surfaces have been exposed to borazine, (BH)3(NH)3, with the resulting surfaces characterized by low-energy electron microscopy. Although the intent of the experiment was to form hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on top of the graphene, such layers were not obtained. Rather, in isolated surface areas, h-BN is found to form µm-size islands that substitute for the graphene. Additionally, over nearly the entire surface, the properties of the layer that was originally graphene is observed to change in a manner that is consistent with the formation of a mixed h-BN/graphene alloy, i.e., h-BNC alloy. Furthermore, following the deposition of the borazine, a small fraction of the surface is found to consist of bare copper, indicating etching of the overlying graphene. The inability to form h-BN layers on top of graphene is discussed in terms of the catalytic behavior of the underlying copper surface and the decomposition of the borazine on top of the graphene.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported in part by the Center for Low Energy Systems Technology (LEAST), one of the six SRC STARnet Centers, sponsored by MARCO and DARPA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA

    Devashish P. Gopalan, Patrick C. Mende, Sergio C. de la Barrera, Jun Li & Randall M. Feenstra

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA

    Shonali Dhingra & Brian D’Urso

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Two-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA

    Kehao Zhang, Nicholas A. Simonson & Joshua A. Robinson

  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, 75080, USA

    Ning Lu, Qingxiao Wang & Moon J. Kim

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  1. Devashish P. Gopalan
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Correspondence to Randall M. Feenstra.

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Gopalan, D.P., Mende, P.C., de la Barrera, S.C. et al. Formation of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene-covered copper surfaces. Journal of Materials Research 31, 945–958 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2016.82

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