The Growth Mechanism of Layered Hexagonal Boron Nitride Crystal on Copper Foil

Abstract

2D hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which has a similar honeycomb lattice structure to graphene, is a promising dielectric material for a wide variety of applications. Herein, the growth of high-quality and large-size multilayer h-BN crystals on Cu foils is reported by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at atmospheric pressure. The size of an individual isolated hexagonal crystal of h-BN is about 20 µm, and the thickness is 3 nm. This paper studies the variables that affect h-BN growth during the process and the microstructure changes during the growth. Through analysis of the thermal and dynamic processes of chemical vapor deposition, relationships are derived between the mass of h-BN grown in the gas phase and various temperature and pressure factors. This information is used to develop appropriate parameters for commercial copper foil growth. Finally, using optimized conditions, high-quality h-BN at high pressure and low gas flow conditions are grown.