Scalable approach for growing hexagonal boron nitride on silicon and its role in III-nitride van der Waals epitaxy

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) stands out among 2D materials for its insulating properties, making it promising for the integration of 2D and 3D materials. However, achieving wafer-scale growth on silicon substrates remains a significant challenge. In this study, growth strategies for depositing h-BN on Si substrates are explored utilizing the wafer scalable metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Our investigations reveal that employing a pulsed flow mode scheme is preferable over the conventional continuous flow mode scheme in growing h-BN thin films on 150 mm Si substrates. The as-grown h-BN film on Si exhibits uniform coverage with h-BN[0001]//Si[111]. With the successful wafer-scale growth of h-BN on Si, its role in aiding the van der Waals epitaxy of III-nitrides on Si substrates and subsequent epitaxial lift-off (ELO) of III-nitrides is further exemplified. An optimized h-BN thickness for the ELO process is also determined.