Chemical and Electrochemical Deposition of 2D Boron Nitride Nanomaterial Films

Project Overview

This research is part of a large multidisciplinary project on 2D semiconductors, focusing on the 2D insulator boron nitride, also known as “white graphene” due to its structural similarity but insulating properties. The project develops chemical vapor and pioneering electrochemical deposition methods to grow hexagonal boron nitride on flat conducting or insulating surfaces. Subsequent growth of 2D semiconductors over boron nitride films will be studied to evaluate effects on semiconductor properties.

What You Will Do

The student will handle air-sensitive precursors for materials deposition and employ structural, compositional, and functional characterization techniques. Training in electrochemistry will be provided through Southampton’s MSc and summer school programmes. Research activities will take place within the Schools of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Electronics and Computer Science, in collaboration with teams at Southampton and Warwick.

Expected Outcomes

The project will produce novel growth methods for 2D boron nitride films and demonstrate their integration with 2D semiconductors grown electrochemically. Functional evaluation of these heterostructures will provide insights for applications such as memristors in neuromorphic computing technologies.

Why This Matters

2D boron nitride offers an ideal insulating surface for next-generation 2D semiconductor devices, enabling van der Waals epitaxy and functional device architectures. Advances in deposition techniques and understanding of semiconductor-boron nitride interfaces are critical for future electronics, particularly in emerging neuromorphic computing systems.