Synthesis and stacking sequence characterization of h-BN/graphene heterostructures on Cu–Ni alloy

Abstract Novel properties are found in the vertically stacked graphene and hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) heterostructures, the performances of which could crucially depend on the stacking sequence. Nevertheless, for most heterostructures fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the stacking sequence is uncertain. Here we introduce a facile CVD method to synthesize the h -BN/graphene stacked heterostructures on Cu–Ni alloy substrate via subsequent formation of graphene grains underneath an h -BN-graphene in-plane heterostructure layer. An efficient and non-destructive method is developed to verify the stacking sequence by low-energy electron reflectivity (LEER) measurement. This work will facilitate both fabrication and characterization of van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) for the future research and applications.