Dielectric Screening in Atomically Thin Boron Nitride Nanosheets

TL;DR

This study investigates how the dielectric screening properties of atomically thin boron nitride nanosheets vary with thickness, combining experimental electric force microscopy and theoretical models to understand their effectiveness in electronic applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of dielectric screening in BN nanosheets using combined experimental and theoretical approaches, highlighting the weak dependence on layer thickness.

Findings

Thin BN nanosheets are less effective in electric field screening.

Screening capability shows weak dependence on layer thickness.

Results inform optimization of 2D electronic devices.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (BN) nanosheets are excellent dielectric substrate for graphene, molybdenum disulfide and many other 2D nanomaterials based electronic and photonic devices. To optimize the performance of these 2D devices, it is essential to understand the dielectric screening properties of BN nanosheets as a function of the thickness. Here, electric force microscopy along with theoretical calculations based on both state-of-the-art first-principles calculations with van der Waals interactions under consideration and non-linear Thomas-Fermi theory models are used to investigate the dielectric screening in high-quality BN nanosheets of different thicknesses. It is found that atomically thin BN nanosheets are less effective in electric field screening, but the screening capability of BN shows a relatively weak dependence on the layer thickness.