Graphene-BN Heterostructures: An In-Plane Transistor

Graphene-Boron Nitride (G-BN) heterostructures can lead to the realization of nanoscale electronics that will be smaller than the dimensional limit—14 nanometers—of silicon transistors and provide higher mobilities. However, the grapheneboron nitride heterostructure although self-insulating, cannot function as a transistor alone due to not having a second conducting pathway. Thus, the utilization of the graphene-boron nitride heterostructure within a side gated FET would require two G-BN flakes to randomly nucleate together. In contrast, the growth of a graphene ribbon around the BN ribbon if fabricated, would allow for a single flake to act as a side gated FET. In order to grow such a G-BN-G heterostructure, the hydrogen etching of BN at high processing temperature must be overcome, which means the use of methane as a carbon precursor for graphene growth is no longer a viable option. As a result, benzoic acid will be studied in the following report as a potential carbon source to synthesize the outer graphene ribbon due to its low thermal breakdown temperature with present showing that hydrogen etching of BN has been reduced.