Mechanical properties of hexagonal boron nitride synthesized from film of Cu/BN mixture by surface segregation

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has a low friction coefficient and weak surf ace attractive force similar to graphite. Furthermore, while graphite is co nductive, BN is a good insulator. These properties make it suitable for app lication like lubricating coating or as an insulator/buffer layer in electr onic devices. The synthesize of h-BN layer by surface segregation phenomena and mechanical properties of the h-BN surface segregated on Cu substrate h ave been investigated. During in situ annealing, the surface segregation of BN occurred on Cu/BN film deposited by deposition process with a rf magnet ron cosputtering system. Anger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoe lectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that though the h-BN layer synth esized was not covered whole area of substrate but the h-BN layers partiall y covered substrate. And the concentration of oxygen on the surface after e xposure in air is decreased with increase of BN concentration. The topograp hy of atomic forces microscopy (AFM) showed that h-BN phases surface segreg ated are discontinuous droplet shape. The force curves of AFM and friction force of lateral force microscopy (LFM) showed that the h-BN droplet surfac e segregated have very weak attractive force and low friction coefficient e qual to h-BN sintered plate. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.