Oriented graphene nanoribbons embedded in hexagonal boron nitride trenches

• Main Authors: He, Li, Wang, Hui Shan, Chen, Lingxiu, Wang, Haomin, Tang, Shujie, Cong, Chunxiao, Xie, Hong, Li, Lei, Xia, Hui, Li, Tianxin, Wu, Tianru, Zhang, Daoli, Deng, Lianwen, Yu, Ting, Xie, Xiaoming, Jiang, Mianheng
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Dielectric Property; Raman Spectrometry
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/89531; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/44967
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are ultra-narrow strips of graphene that have the potential to be used in high-performance graphene-based semiconductor electronics. However, controlled growth of GNRs on dielectric substrates remains a challenge. Here, we report the successful growth of GNRs directly on hexagonal boron nitride substrates with smooth edges and controllable widths using chemical vapour deposition. The approach is based on a type of template growth that allows for the in-plane epitaxy of mono-layered GNRs in nano-trenches on hexagonal boron nitride with edges following a zigzag direction. The embedded GNR channels show excellent electronic properties, even at room temperature. Such in-plane hetero-integration of GNRs, which is compatible with integrated circuit processing, creates a gapped channel with a width of a few benzene rings, enabling the development of digital integrated circuitry based on GNRs.