The Need: In the rapidly evolving landscape of nanotechnology, the controlled synthesis of high-quality monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a critical commercial imperative. As a fundamental building block for 2D heterostructures and devices, the demand for scalable and precisely controlled hBN synthesis has intensified. However, until now, achieving such synthesis has presented a formidable challenge, hindering progress in various industries reliant on advanced materials.

The Technology: Our groundbreaking technology introduces an hBN/graphene (hBN/G) interface-mediated growth process that revolutionizes the controlled synthesis of monolayer hBN. Through meticulous research and development, we have uncovered a method to precisely manipulate the in-plane hBN/G interface, facilitating the scalable epitaxy of unidirectional monolayer hBN on graphene. The resulting material boasts a uniform moiré superlattice consistent with single-domain hBN, perfectly aligned to the underlying graphene lattice. Additionally, our discovery of deep-ultraviolet emission at 6.12 eV, originating from the 1s-exciton state of monolayer hBN, opens new avenues for optoelectronic applications.

Commercial Applications:

• Fabrication of 2D quantum electronic devices
• Integration into next-generation sensors for enhanced performance
• Development of ultra-sensitive photodetectors for diverse industries

Benefits/Advantages:

• Enables controlled synthesis of ultraclean, wafer-scale monolayer hBN
• Facilitates the creation of atomically ordered 2D quantum materials
• Paves the way for scalable production of advanced heterostructures and devices