Molecular Beam and Chemical Beam Epitaxial Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride
Abstract
Title: Molecular Beam and Chemical Beam Epitaxial Growth of Hexagonal Boron NitrideObjective:The objective of this proposal is to grow and characterize epitaxial hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thin films in a UHV environment.Approach:PI s approach will involve extending his recent results comparing and optimizing growth from chemical precursor and elemental boron sources combined with activated nitrogen. A number of single crystal substrates and surface treatments will be assessed for their effect on h-BN nucleation, growth and ultimately film quality.SOW:Here is a summary of the proposed research activities:1st Year~ Investigate MBE growth of h-BN using boron and RF nitrogen plasma source.~ Investigate surface preparation and growth parameters of SiC(0001) and Al2O3(0001) for h-BN growth.~ Optimize CBE growth conditions on insulating substrates and deciding on the most promising precursor.~ Atomic level investigation of growth mechanisms using in-situ STM, AFM, XPS, AES, and LEED~ Investigate additional substrates for h-BN epitaxial growth.2nd Year~ Continue optimizing MBE and CBE growth of h-BN using feedback from in-situ STM, AFM, XPS, AES, and LEED studies.~ Conduct ex-situ studies of electronic structural properties of h-BN thin films~ Investigate CBE template followed by MBE growth.~ Characterize electronic and structural properties of h-BN/semiconductor heterostructures.3rd Year~ Continue optimization of h-BN growth and properties on variety of surface treatments.~ Provide epitaxial h-BN for growth of epitaxial graphene.~ Fabricate h-BN/semiconductor devices for transport measurements.Merit and Relevance:The Navy has need for electronics that operate at higher speeds with lower power consumption. This reduces the power needed for operations and also allows for superiorperformance of systems. This is especially important for portable and airborne electronic systems. Graphene-based electronics offers such an advantage. However, currently a major bottleneck is the lack of large-area, single crystal h-BN substrates for high-qualitygrowth of graphene thin films needed for scalable electronics.Maturation of h-BN growth will enable its use in wide bandgap heterostructures devices. Integration of h-BN into nitride-based devices can increase efficiency in solidstate lighting and power conversion. Boron nitride-based deep-UV light sources have the potential to be far more efficient than devices based on competing nitride materials. Deep-UV solid-state light sources can have extremely relevant applications in portable, efficient surface sterilization and water purification devices. A solid-state deep-UV source will be more efficient and reliable than conventional UV bulbs and arc lamps,making it ideal for field use.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 23, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612865
Entities
People
- Chris J. Palmstrøm
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Santa Barbara