Self-Ordered Orientation of Crystalline Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanodomains Embedded in Boron Carbonitride Films for Band Gap Engineering

Abstract

Boron carbonitride (BCN) films containing hybridized bonds involving elements B, C, and N over wide compositional ranges enable an abundant variety of new materials, electronic structures, properties, and applications, owing to their semiconducting properties with variable band gaps. However, it still remains challenging to achieve band gap-engineered BCN ternary with a controllable composition and well-established ordered structure. Herein, we report on the synthesis and characterization of hybridized BCN materials, consisting of self-ordered hexagonal BN (h-BN) crystalline nanodomains, with its aligned basal planes preferentially perpendicular to the substrate, depending on the growth conditions. The observation of the two sets of different band absorptions suggests that the h-BN nanodomains are distinguished enough to resume their individual band gap identity from the BCN films, which decreases as the carbon content increases in the BCN matrix, due to the doping and/or boundary effect. Our results reveal that the structural features and band gap of this form of hybrid BCN films are strongly correlated with the kinetic growth factors, making it a great system for further fundamental physical research and for potential in the development of band gap-engineered applications in optoelectronics.

Direct Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Thick Films on Dielectric Substrates by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition for Deep‐UV Photodetectors

“…In addition to the band gap narrowing, a broad absorption emerges at around 300–400 nm corresponding to an optical energy gap of 3.20–2.70 eV, which can be ascribed to the transition pathways between the CN π‐conduction band and the long pair state of the bridge nitride atom, or between the conduction band and the valence band for the CN π band. [ 52 ] Furthermore, similar absorption characteristics can be discerned also for the h ‐BN films directly grown on Si substrates (Figure S6, Supporting Information). In fact, such multiple absorption characteristics was also observed for a hybrid atomic monolayer consisting of h ‐BN/C hybridized phases, [ 53 ] in which h ‐BN and graphene nanodomains were visualized laterally.…”

Hydrogenation of Boron Carbon Nitride Thin Films for Low-k Dielectric Applications

“…As graphite is semi-metallic and h-BN is insulating, BCN compounds between graphite and h-BN exhibit semiconducting properties. 10,11 Structural topography and composition play a crucial role in defining BCN material properties. Synthesizing BCN with various techniques enables compositional tuning, and remarkably distinct BCN compositions portray unique properties.…”

Boron Carbon Nitride (BCN) Nano-Coatings of Central Venous Catheters Inhibits Bacterial Colonization

“…As graphite is semi-metallic and h-BN is insulating, hybrid BCN between graphite and h-BN exhibits semiconducting properties. 21 BCN has proven to be a multifunctional material finding applications in supercapacitor, 22,23 UV detectors, 20 anti-wear and protective coatings, 24,25 and energy storage applications. 26,27 Recently, BCN has been implemented for applications in water purification, 28 nano-biotechnology and nanomedicine field.…”