Method of manufacture of atomically thin boron nitride
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a method of fabricating at least one single layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) suspending at least one multilayer boron nitride across a gap of a support structure and (2) performing a reactive ion etch upon the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating single layer hexagonal boron nitride. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) providing multilayer boron nitride suspended across a gap of a support structure and (2) performing a reactive ion etch upon the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure.
1. A method of fabricating single layer hexagonal boron nitride comprising:
(a) providing multilayer boron nitride suspended across a gap of a support structure; and
(b) performing a reactive ion etch on the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein operation (b) comprises using a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen plasmas.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the mixture has an energy in a range of 22 watts to 30 watts.
4. A method of fabricating single layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) comprising:
(a) suspending multilayer boron nitride across a gap of a support structure; and
(b) performing a reactive ion etch on the multilayer boron nitride to produce the single layer hexagonal boron nitride suspended across the gap of the support structure.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein operation (a) comprises:
peeling boron nitride (BN) powder;
moving the peeled BN powder to a wafer;
identifying a BN flake; and
transferring the BN flake to the support structure.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the wafer is a silicon wafer.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the identifying comprises using an optical microscope.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the transferring comprises:
placing the support structure on top of the BN flake;
depositing alcohol on the support structure and the BN flake;
allowing the alcohol to dry;
putting polyimide on the support structure and the BN flake;
heating the support structure, the BN flake, and polyimide;
peeling the polyimide from the support structure and the BN flake, resulting in the BN flake being adhered to the support structure;
immersing the BN flake adhered to the support structure in a methylpyrrolidone bath to dissolve the polyimide;
relocating the BN flake adhered to the support structure to an isopropanol solution; and
letting the BN flake adhered to the support structure dry.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the support structure comprises a transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the alcohol comprises isopropanol alcohol.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the heating comprises heating the support structure, the BN flake, and the polyimide at 110° C. for 10 minutes.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the methylpyrrolidone bath is at 60° C.
13. The method of claim 4 wherein operation (b) comprises using a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen plasmas.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the mixture has an energy in a range of 22 watts to 30 watts.