In situ chemical vapor deposition of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures

Graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) heterostructures have attracted considerable attention in recent years to keep graphene's unique properties with ideal two-dimensional protective layers of h-BN for use in a wide range of potential applications. Depending on the application goals and the fabrication process, several structural configurations of graphene and hBN have been suggested; (1) lateral heterostructure incorporated in the in-plane direction on the same layer like graphene-hBN and (2) vertical heterostructures stacking a layer over different layers like graphene/hBN(GB), hBN/graphene(BG) or hBN/graphene/hBN(BGB). These artificial heterostructures can induce new properties or preserve the ideal unique properties beyond the inevitable limit of pristine graphene caused during the conventional fabrication. In this perspective, recent advances in selective synthesis or controllable fabrication of graphene and hBN heterostructures are summarized. In particular, with practical scalability, high uniformity and quality, in situ chemical vapor deposition growth of in-plane and vertical graphene and hBN heterostructures are highlighted. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.