Monolayer formation of hexagonal boron nitride on Ag(001)

The formation of monolayers from hexagonal boron nitride, h-BN, on the square Bravais lattice of a Ag(001) surface via chemical vapor deposition of borazine (HBNH)3 was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Due to the weak interaction between the h-BN monolayer and the Ag surface, there is no preferred orientation of the h-BN lattice. The h-BN-related hexagonal distributions of LEED spots transform into nearly homogeneous rings. The growth of h-BN on Ag(001) is the same as previously demonstrated for Ag(111), giving evidence that for weakly interacting transition metal surfaces the surface symmetry has no distinct impact on the h-BN growth.