Optical Contrast and Raman Spectroscopy Techniques Applied to Few-Layer 2D Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is a well-organized paper with useful results on techniques developed to measure the thickness of hBN layer.  The reasoning and the measurements are sound.  I have only minor changes to suggest, to improve the English.Otherwise, it is ready for publication.

Page 5, line 172

Change from "was determined firstly" to "was determined first"

Page 5, line 174

Change from "The experimental values are in good agreement with the calculated ones even for..." to "The experimental and calculated values are in good agreement even for..."

Page 5, lines 179-180

Change from "In...minimum, we can observe a stronger dependence..." to "In...minimum, there is a stronger dependence..."

Page 6, line 228

Change from "From these results, it appears that the E2g..." to "The E2g..."

Page 7, lines 240-241

Change from "It is worth to mention that simulations..." to "Note the simulations..."

Page 7, line 242

Is "grown" really the correct word? The hBN was not deposited by MBE, CVD, or any other deposition technique.  How about "are supported on a SiO2/Si substrate?"

Page 7, lines 248 and 249.

Indicate that (b) is experimentally measured values.

Page 7, line 251

Change from "demonstrated that thickness identification of hBN microcrysals is possible..." to "demonstrated that the thickness of hBN microcrysals can be identified is possible..."

Page 5, line 189

Change from "This is clearly due to the fact that..." to "This is clearly because..." 

Page 7, lines 260-261

Change from "...makes unuseful the application of the Raman technique..."  to "... making Raman spectroscopy unsuitable for measuring...."

Additional comments on the supplemental information.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Editor,

Attached to this letter, we submit a revised version of the manuscript mentioned above, which has been modified accordingly to the suggestions performed by the referees. In this respect, we would like to thank to both referees for their positive response and their suggestions, which have improved the revised version of the manuscript. Changes performed have been summarized here below.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marie Krečmarová and Dr. Juan F. Sánchez-Royo, on behalf of all authors.

Referee #1:

This is a well-organized paper with useful results on techniques developed to measure the thickness of hBN layer.  The reasoning and the measurements are sound.  I have only minor changes to suggest, to improve the English. Otherwise, it is ready for publication.

All suggestions placed by the referee #1 (not listed here) have been introduced into main manuscript and supplementary information.

Referee #2:

 I believe the properties of h-BN are very important to the field of physics, electronic engineering and materials science. In my opinion the novelty of this works lies on the applications that could be created by using the properties that are studied in this work.
The results are sound. I have only a question that should be addressed, prior to acceptance of the manuscript:

1)      I suggest the authors should at least add the introduction a new section about the defects and stacking fault in the 2D Materials (h-BN): APL, 110, 023101 (2017), Phys Rev B.97.064101 (2018), Phys Rev B.96.144106 (2017).

We have included a new paragraph in the introduction section devoted to defects in h-BN. References mentioned by the referee have been included.

2)       The literature reference is not appropriate about the electronic properties of the h-BN : Nano Lett.20161674317-4321, Phys. Rev. B 95, 085410 – (2017),

Reference list has been updated according to the referee suggestions.

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript entitled «Optical contrast and Raman spectroscopy techniques  applied to few-layer 2D hexagonal boron nitride " is based on the study of defects in two-dimensional (2D) materials.

I believe the properties of h-BN are very important to the field of physics, electronic engineering and materials science. In my opinion the novelty of this works lies on the applications that could be created by using the properties that are studied in this work.

The results are sound. I have only a question that should be addressed, prior to acceptance of the manuscript:

1)       I suggest the authors should at least add the introduction a new section about the defects and stacking fault in the 2D Materials (h-BN): APL, 110, 023101 (2017), Phys Rev B.97.064101 (2018), Phys Rev B.96.144106 (2017).

2)       The literature reference is not appropriate about the electronic properties of the h-BN : Nano Lett.20161674317-4321, Phys. Rev. B 95, 085410 – (2017),

Author Response

Dear Editor,

Attached to this letter, we submit a revised version of the manuscript mentioned above, which has been modified accordingly to the suggestions performed by the referees. In this respect, we would like to thank to both referees for their positive response and their suggestions, which have improved the revised version of the manuscript. Changes performed have been summarized here below.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marie Krečmarová and Dr. Juan F. Sánchez-Royo, on behalf of all authors.

Referee #1:

This is a well-organized paper with useful results on techniques developed to measure the thickness of hBN layer.  The reasoning and the measurements are sound.  I have only minor changes to suggest, to improve the English. Otherwise, it is ready for publication.

All suggestions placed by the referee #1 (not listed here) have been introduced into main manuscript and supplementary information.

Referee #2:

 I believe the properties of h-BN are very important to the field of physics, electronic engineering and materials science. In my opinion the novelty of this works lies on the applications that could be created by using the properties that are studied in this work.
The results are sound. I have only a question that should be addressed, prior to acceptance of the manuscript:

1)      I suggest the authors should at least add the introduction a new section about the defects and stacking fault in the 2D Materials (h-BN): APL, 110, 023101 (2017), Phys Rev B.97.064101 (2018), Phys Rev B.96.144106 (2017).

We have included a new paragraph in the introduction section devoted to defects in h-BN. References mentioned by the referee have been included.

2)       The literature reference is not appropriate about the electronic properties of the h-BN : Nano Lett.20161674317-4321, Phys. Rev. B 95, 085410 – (2017),

Reference list has been updated according to the referee suggestions.