We demonstrate that freeing a single-atom thick layer of hexagonal boron nitride (hbn) from tight chemical bonding to a Ni(111) thin film grown on a W(110) substrate can be achieved by intercalation of Au atoms into the interface. This process has been systematically investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission and absorption techniques. It has been demonstrated that the transition of the hbn layer from the "rigid" into the "quasi-freestanding" state is accompanied by a change of its lattice constant. Using chemical vapor deposition, graphene has been successfully synthesized on the insulating, quasi-freestanding hbn monolayer. We anticipate that the in situ synthesized weakly interacting graphene/hbn double layered system could be further developed for technological applications and may provide perspectives for further inquiry into the unusual electronic properties of graphene.
@article{arxiv.1008.1874,
title = {Quasi-freestanding and single-atom thick layer of hexagonal boron nitride as a substrate for graphene synthesis},
author = {D. Usachov and D. Haberer and A. Grüneis and H. Sachdev and A. B. Preobrajenski and V. K. Adamchuk and C. Laubschat and D. V. Vyalikh},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1008.1874},
year = {2015}
}