Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are ultra-narrow strips of graphene that have the potential to be used in high-performance graphene-based semiconductor electronics. However, controlled growth of GNRs on dielectric substrates remains a challenge. Here, we report the successful growth of GNRs directly on hexagonal boron nitride substrates with smooth edges and controllable widths using chemical vapour deposition. The approach is based on a type of template growth that allows for the in-plane epitaxy of mono-layered GNRs in nano-trenches on hexagonal boron nitride with edges following a zigzag direction. The embedded GNR channels show excellent electronic properties, even at room temperature. Such in-plane hetero-integration of GNRs, which is compatible with integrated circuit processing, creates a gapped channel with a width of a few benzene rings, enabling the development of digital integrated circuitry based on GNRs.
@article{arxiv.1703.03145,
title = {Oriented Graphene Nanoribbons Embedded in Hexagonal Boron Nitride Trenches},
author = {Lingxiu Chen and Li He and Hui Shan Wang and Haomin Wang and Shujie Tang and Chunxiao Cong and Hong Xie and Lei Li and Hui Xia and Tianxin Li and Tianru Wu and Daoli Zhang and Lianwen Deng and Ting Yu and Xiaoming Xie and Mianheng Jiang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.03145},
year = {2017}
}