Published in J. Mater. Res. 31, 945 (2016).

Formation of hexagonal Boron Nitride on Graphene-covered Copper Surfaces

Devashish P. Gopalan,¹ Patrick C. Mende,¹ Sergio C. de la Barrera,¹ Shonali Dhingra,² Jun Li,¹ Kehao Zhang,³ Nicholas A. Simonson,³ Joshua A. Robinson,³ Ning Lu,⁴ Qingxiao Wang,⁴ Moon J. Kim,⁴ Brian D’Urso,² Randall M. Feenstra¹
¹Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
³Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Two-Dimensional and Layered Materials, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
⁴Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080

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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