Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) Crystals and Films

With a honeycomb structure based on sp² covalent bonds similar to graphene, hexagonal boron nitride is also known as “white graphene”. h-BN monolayers have a layered structure (again, very similar to graphene).

The hexagonal crystal structure of h-BN is one of the three crystalline forms of boron nitride (BN). BN crystallises in hexagonal form at room temperature and normal pressure. It is the most stable phase of the three crystalline forms. At higher temperature and pressure, h-BN transform into a wurtzite structure (P63mc).

h-BN is normally considered an insulator, and is used as a sub-layer material for any other 2D material in electronic devices. However, it has exotic opto-electronic properties (e.g. wide bandgap and low dielectric constant) along with mechanical robustness, high thermal conductivity and chemical inertness. It was later confirmed to have an indirect bandgap (at 5.955 eV), and thus is also considered a semiconductor. 

2D  h-BN has no absorption in the visible range, but has absorption in the ultraviolet region with good photoluminescence.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayer film has a similar lattice structure to graphene, with a lattice mismatch of only about 1.8%. h-BN and graphene are different in terms of their electrical conductivity. With a bandgap of 6.08 eV, h-BN has an insulating nature, whereas graphene is considered a semi-metal.

h-BN is widely used as a dielectric substrate in electronic and optical devices for graphene and other 2D-layered semiconductors (e.g. transition metal dichalcogenides TMDs).

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) few-layer film, often referred to as h-BN nanosheets (h-BNNS), has an ultra-flat surface without dangling bonds. Due to its oxidation resistance even at high temperatures (up to 1000 ^oC) and chemical resistance to both acids and bases, it is believed to be a better substrate than silicon.

We supply low price hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) in several different forms for a range of applications.

Hexagonal Boron Nitride Crystals

Can be used for preparation of hexagonal boron nitride nanoplates and ultrathin films

Available in Pack of 5 or 10 crystals

≥99.99% purity

From £480

Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Size

Can be used as substrate, dielectrics and passivation laayers or interlayer to other 2D materials

Monolayer and few-layer h-BN films available on SiO₂/Si or PET substrate*

≥99.99% purity

From £230

*Custom made size and substrates are also available 

• Glass (1 cm × 1 cm, 1 cm × 2 cm, 2 cm × 2 cm or custom-made sizes)
• Sapphire (1 cm × 2 cm, 2 cm × 2 cm or custom-made sizes)
• Silicon (1 cm × 2 cm, 2 cm × 2 cm or custom-made sizes)
• Quartz (1 cm × 2 cm, 2 cm × 2 cm or custom-made sizes)
• Copper (5 cm × 10 cm or custom-made sizes)

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystals are most commonly used as sources from which single or few-layer sheets can be obtained via either mechanical or liquid exfoliation. 

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h-BN has been used as a protective membrane in devices such as deep ultraviolet and quantum photonic emitters, where it provides strong oxidation resistance. It has also been utilised as a tunnelling barrier in field-effect tunnelling transistors.

Key Product Data

• High purity hexagonal boron nitride crystals and films
• Sold according to package or size and substrate respectively
• Low price with free worldwide shipping on qualifying orders

Synthesis and Usage

High quality monolayer and few-layer h-BN films were first grown directly on copper foil via the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. The films were later transferred to the desired substrates via the wet chemical transfer process. 

h-BN films are ready to use in various research purposes, such as microscopic analysis, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy studies. h-BN monolayer film can also be transferred to other substrates.

Structure of Hexagonal Boron Nitride 

With a honeycomb structure based on sp² covalent bonds similar to graphene, hexagonal boron nitride is also known as “white graphene”. h-BN monolayers have a layered structure (again, very similar to graphene).

The hexagonal crystal structure of h-BN is one of the three crystalline forms of boron nitride (BN). BN crystallises in hexagonal form at room temperature and normal pressure. It is the most stable phase of the three crystalline forms. At higher temperature and pressure, h-BN transform into a wurtzite structure (P63mc).

Properties of Hexagonal Boron Nitride

After exfoliation of Hexagonal Boron Nitride crystal or powder, Hexagonal Boron Nitride typically has the following properties:

• ‎Known as “white graphene”
• BN crystallises in hexagonal form (P63mc)
• Normally considered an insulator
• With an indirect bandgap (at 5.955 eV), and thus is also considered a semiconductor

Applications of Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Thanks to its direct wide bandgap and ultraviolet luminescence property, exfoliated h-BN nano-sheets are a promising candidate for applications in ultraviolet lasers, photon emission, and DUV detectors. 2D h-BN also finds applications in FETs, quantum tunnelling transistors, thermoelectric devices, LEDs and solar cells.

Few-layer h-BN can be achieved either by physical, thermal, or liquid phase exfoliation, Like graphite, its layer-by-layer structure is held together by van der Waals forces.

The optical band gap of monolayer h-BN is found to be 6.07 eV, while few-layer h-BN has bandgaps ranging from 5.56 to 5.92 eV, depending on the number of layers. Thanks to its direct wide bandgap and ultraviolet luminescence property, exfoliated h-BN nano-sheets are a promising candidate for applications in ultraviolet lasers, photon emission, and DUV detectors. 2D h-BN also finds applications in FETs, quantum tunnelling transistors, thermoelectric devices, LEDs and solar cells.

Due to its special chemical properties and electronic structure, h-BN often serves as an atomic flat insulating substrate or a tunneling dielectric barrier in graphene and other 2D electronics. Like graphene, h-BN exhibits excellent mechanical flexibility, chemical and temperature stability, and high thermal conductivity. h-BN has been used as a protective membrane in devices such as deep ultraviolet and quantum photonic emitters, where it provides strong oxidation resistance. It has also been utilised as a tunnelling barrier in field-effect tunnelling transistors.

Literature and Reviews

• Hexagonal boron nitride is an indirect bandgap semiconductor, G. Cassabois et al., Nat. Photon., 10, 262–266 (2016);DOI: 10.1038/NPHOTON.2015.277.
• Graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and their heterostructures: properties and applications, J. Wang et al., RSC Adv., 7, 16801 (2017); DOI: 10.1039/c7ra00260b.
• Two dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (2D-h-BN): synthesis, properties and applications, K. Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 5, 11992 (2017); DOI: 10.1039/c7tc04300g.
• Synthesis and Applications of Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Electronics Manufacturing, J. Bao et al., Electron. Mater. Lett., 12, 1-16 (2016), DOI: 10.1007/s13391-015-5308-2.
• Functionalized hexagonal boron nitride nanomaterials: emerging properties and applications, Q. Weng et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 45, 3989-4012 (2016); DOI:10.1039/C5CS00869G.
• Atomically Thin Boron Nitride: Unique Properties and Applications, L. Li et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 26, 2594-2608 (2016); DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201504606 .
• Large-scale synthesis and functionalization of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, G. Bhimanapati et al., anoscale, 6, 11671-11675 (2014); DIO: 10.1039/C4NR01816H.
• Large Scale Thermal Exfoliation and Functionalization of Boron Nitride, Z. Cui et al., small, 10 (12), 2352–2355 (2014); DOI: 10.1002/smll.201303236.
• White Graphene undergoes Peroxidase Degradation, R. Kurapati et al., Angew.Chem., 128,5596 –5601 (2016); DOI:10.1002/anie.201601238.
• Layer speciation and electronic structure investigation of freestanding hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets, J. Wang et al., Nanoscale, 7, 1718-1724 (2015); DOI: 10.1039/C4NR04445B.
• Monolayer to Bulk Properties of Hexagonal Boron Nitride, D. Wickramaratne et al., J. Phys. Chem. C, 122 (44), 25524–25529 (2018); DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b09087.
• Atomically Thin Boron Nitride: Unique Properties and Applications, L. Li et al, Adv. Funct. Mater., 26, 2594-2608 (2016); DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201504606.
• Chemical and Bandgap Engineering in Monolayer Hexagonal Boron Nitride, K. Ba et al., Sci. Rep., 7, 45584 (2017); DOI: 10.1038/srep45584.
• Single Crystalline Film of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Atomic Monolayer by Controlling Nucleation Seeds and Domains, Q. Wu et al., Sci. Rep., 5, 16159 (2015); DOI: 10.1038/srep16159,
• Growth of Large Single-Crystalline Monolayer Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Oxide-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition, R. Chang et al.,  Chem. Mater. 2017, 29, 6252−6260 (2017); DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b01285.
• Scalable Synthesis of Uniform Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride Dielectric Films, P Sutter et al., Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 276−281 (2013); DIO: 10.1021/nl304080y.
• High-performance deep ultraviolet photodetectors based on few-layer hexagonal boron nitride, H, Liu et al., Nanoscale, 10, 5559–5565 (2018); DOI: 10.1039/c7nr09438h .
• Pressure-Dependent Growth of Wafer-Scale Few-layer h‑BN by Metal−Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition, D. Kim et al., Cryst. Growth Des., 17, 2569−2575 (2017); DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b00107.
• Catalyst-Free Bottom-Up Synthesis of Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets, J. Nanomater., 30429 (2015); doi: 10.1155/2015/304295.
• Controlled Synthesis of Atomically Layered Hexagonal Boron Nitride via Chemical Vapor Deposition, J. Liu et al., Molecules, 21, 1636 (2016); doi:10.3390/molecules21121636.
• Thickness determination of few-layer hexagonal boron nitride films by scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy, APL Mater. 2, 092502 (2014); doi.org/10.1063/1.4889815.
• Vacuum-Ultraviolet Photodetection in Few-Layered h‑BN, W. Zheng et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 10, 27116−27123 (2018); DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b07189.