Published in Surf. Sci. 659, 31 (2017).
Characterization of hexagonal boron nitride layers on nickel surfaces by low-energy electron microscopy
Patrick C. Mende,1 Qin Gao,1 Ariel Ismach,2 Harry Chou,2 Michael Widom,1 Rodney Ruoff,2 Luigi Colombo,3 and Randall M. Feenstra1
1Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
22Deptartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
3Texas Instruments, Advanced Technology Development, Dallas, TX 75243, USA
Abstract
The thickness and interfacial geometry of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) films grown by chemical vapor deposition on polycrystalline nickel foils is studied using low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM). The reflectivity of the electrons, measured over an energy range of 0 – 20 eV, reveals distinct minima and maxima. The measured data is compared with simulations based on a first-principles description of the electronic structure of the material. From this comparison, the number of hBN layers and the separation between the lowest hBN layer and the nickel surface is deduced. The coupling of interlayer states of the hBN to both image-potential and Shockley-type surface states of the nickel is discussed, and the dependence of the reflectivity spectra on the surface orientation of nickel grains is examined.
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