Nanospectroscopy highlights

We have demonstrated that a simple thermal decomposition of dimethylamine borane (DMAB) is sufficient to obtain a G-h-BN layer on Pt(111). This growth route allows an easy and controlled preparation of a continuous almost freestanding layer mostly composed by G and h-BN in the same two dimensional sheet by dehydrogenation and pyrolytic decomposition of DMAB on Pt(111). The temperature is the principal parameter to selectively grow the G-h-BN layer in competition with hybridized B-C-N layers on the clean crystal surface. We have grown and investigated the h-BNG layer on Pt(111) at the BACH beamline by high-resolution core level X-ray photoemission (XPS) and near-edge absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and at the Nanospectroscopy beamline by low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) combined with X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM), micro-spot electron energy loss spectroscopy (µ-EELS) and low energy

 electron diffraction (µ-LEED). Our findings show that dehydrogenation and pyrolytic decomposition of DMAB is an efficient and easy method for obtaining a continuous almost freestanding layer made of G, h-BN in the same two dimensional sheet on a metal substrate, such as Pt(111), paving the way for the advancement of next-generation G-like-based electronics and novel spintronic devices.

Retrieve article