Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of Boron-Carbon-Nitrogen layers from Methylamine Borane Thermolysis Products

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the chemical vapor deposition growth of boron-carbon-nitrogen layers from methylamine borane thermolysis products, revealing domain segregation and C-N bonding, with detailed structural and optical characterizations.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for growing B-C-N layers using methylamine borane as a precursor, analyzing its thermolysis products and resulting layer properties.

Findings

Segregation of h-BN and graphene-like domains observed.

Presence of B and N interactions with C at domain borders.

Optical bandgap measurements discussed and compared with prior work.

Abstract

This work investigates the growth of B-C-N layers by chemical vapor deposition using methylamine borane (MeAB) as single-source precursor. MeAB has been synthesized and characterized, paying particular attention to the analysis of its thermolysis products, which are the gaseous precursors for B-C-N growth. Samples have been grown on Cu foils and transferred onto different substrates for their morphological, structural, chemical, electronic and optical characterizations. The results of these characterizations indicate a segregation of h-BN and Graphene-like (Gr) domains. However, there is an important presence of B and N interactions with C at the Gr borders, and of C interacting at the h-BN-edges, respectively, in the obtained nano-layers. In particular, there is significant presence of C-N bonds, at Gr/h-BN borders and in the form of N doping of Gr domains. The overall B:C:N contents in the layers is close to 1:3:1.5. A careful analysis of the optical bandgap determination of the obtained B-C-N layers is presented, discussed and compared with previous seminal works with samples of similar composition.