Role of hydrogen carrier gas on the growth of few layer hexagonal boron nitrides by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Few layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films were grown on 2-inch sapphire substrates by using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with two different carrier gases, hydrogen (H-2) and nitrogen (N-2). Structural, optical and electrical properties of the MOCVD-grown h-BN films were systematically investigated by various spectroscopic analyses and electrical conduction measurement. Based on the experimental findings including narrower X-ray photoelectron spectra, reduced intensity of the shoulder peaks in near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra, and decreased electrical conduction by more than three orders of magnitude when H-2 carrier gas is employed, it was concluded that H-2 has an advantage over N-2 as the carrier gas for MOCVD growth of h-BN which is attributed to the healing of crystalline defects by etching and regrowth processes occurring under the pulsed source-injection mode. (C) 2017 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).