Alloying hBN with aluminum influences absorption and electronic properties

Bibliographic Details
Title: Alloying hBN with aluminum influences absorption and electronic properties
Authors: Jakub Iwański, Mateusz Tokarczyk, Aleksandra K. Dąbrowska, Jan Pawłowski, Piotr Tatarczak, Marcin Strawski, Kamil Sobczak, Marta Bilska, Maciej Wójcik, Sławomir Kret, Johannes Binder, Andrzej Wysmołek
Source: Scientific Reports, Vol 15, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2025)
Publisher Information: Nature Portfolio, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Subject Terms: BAlN alloy, hBN, Epitaxy, MOVPE, Bandgap manipulation, Excitonic absorption, Medicine, Science
More Details: Abstract The versatile range of applications for two-dimensional (2D) materials has encouraged scientists to engineer their properties. This is often accomplished by stacking atomically thin layered materials into complex van der Waals heterostructures. A less popular but technologically promising approach is alloying 2D materials. In this work, we demonstrate a first step towards tuning the intrinsic electronic properties of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We present a series of aluminum alloyed hexagonal boron nitride (hBAlN) samples grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy on 2-inch sapphire substrates with varying aluminum concentration. Importantly, the obtained samples revealed a sp2-bonded crystal structure and modifications in interband optical transitions. Optical absorption experiments disclosed two prominent peaks in the excitonic spectral range with absorption coefficients ~ 106 cm− 1. Their peak energies align closely with the energies of indirect and direct bandgap transitions in hBN. The presence of two absorption peaks can be attributed to mixing of electronic states in the K and M conduction band valleys, resulting in a substantial increase in the absorption coefficient for indirect transitions. The observed effects offer insights into hBN-based two-dimensional alloys, highlighting the potential for developing 2D material-based quantum well structures capable of operating in the challenging deep UV spectral range.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-92671-9
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/5df1529910064030a89868d11f57e092
Accession Number: edsdoj.5df1529910064030a89868d11f57e092
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-92671-9
Published in:Scientific Reports
Language:English