Controlled CVD growth of lateral and vertical graphene/h-BN heterostructures

Abstract

We demonstrate controlled chemical vapor deposition growth of lateral and vertical heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on Cu substrates by changing supply sequence of their precursors. When the graphene precursors are switched by the h-BN precursors, h-BN grows from the edges of the existing graphene islands, resulting in the lateral heterostrcutures. In the reversed supply sequence, on the other hand, graphene grows at the interface between the h-BN and Cu substrate, leading to the vertical heterostructures. This simple method of controlling vertical and lateral heterostructures allows to produce more complicated heterostructures by designing the precursor supply sequence.