Graphene in Electronics – Successfully Upscaling Graphene onto Patterned Electronic Devices

Researchers have succeeded in upscaling superior-quality graphene devices to the 100 micron scale and beyond.

Scientists from the University of Hamburg and Graphenea have perfected the production, transfer and patterning processes of CVD graphene to observe the quantum Hall effect in devices measuring longer than 100 µm, with electronic properties on par with micromechanically exfoliated devices.

Transfer Process of Graphene

The work, published in Applied Physics Letters, by Timothy Lyon and Co-Authors, started from graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a copper substrate. CVD is considered to be the most successful technique for developing large-area high-quality graphene ideal for high-tech applications.

However, graphene on metal is not suitable for applications in electronics, and hence the material is generally transferred onto another substrate before use. The transfer process has been shown to be a tough nut to crack, in several cases leading to defects, cracks, and chemical impurities that bring down the quality of the graphene.

Researchers, in this most recent advance, have optimized every step of the transfer and patterning processes, which resulted in large-area graphene of extraordinary quality. Transfer from copper was carried out in eight consecutive steps, with three more steps added in order to develop electrical contacts.

Although a standard etching solution is used to remove copper, the bottom side of the graphene is cleaned with two reactive chemical etching steps to remove inorganic and organic contaminants. Additionally, standard chemicals are replaced at other steps of the process, such as polymer removal, by carefully chosen ones so as to prevent graphene damage.

Graphene devices and measurement.

Figure: Graphene devices and measurement.

Optimized Processing of Graphene

The optimized processing leads to tear-free graphene on the preferred Si/SiO2 substrate. Additional processing is carried out to implement metallic contacts for electrical measurements.

The electrical performance of the devices is measured at low temperature and in vacuum, revealing multiple quantum Hall levels. Large-scale quantum Hall effect makes room for the usage of graphene for universal electrical resistance standard measurements, hopefully leading to more precise measures of electron charge and the Planck constant.

The graphene devices have their charge neutrality point near zero gate voltage, which highlights extremely high material purity. Perhaps most importantly, the measured carrier mobility is as high as 3760 cm2/(Vs), which unambiguously shows that CVD graphene is an exceptional candidate for electronic applications.

Upscaling high-quality graphene device production beyond 100 microns is very important for commercial production. The Authors of the research believe that such devices will find uses in thermo-power couplers, THz-emitters and probably flexible thin-film sensors.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Graphenea.

For more information on this source, please visit Graphenea.

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Graphenea. (2018, July 04). Graphene in Electronics – Successfully Upscaling Graphene onto Patterned Electronic Devices. AZoNano. Retrieved on December 10, 2024 from https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4491.

  • MLA

    Graphenea. "Graphene in Electronics – Successfully Upscaling Graphene onto Patterned Electronic Devices". AZoNano. 10 December 2024. <https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4491>.

  • Chicago

    Graphenea. "Graphene in Electronics – Successfully Upscaling Graphene onto Patterned Electronic Devices". AZoNano. https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4491. (accessed December 10, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Graphenea. 2018. Graphene in Electronics – Successfully Upscaling Graphene onto Patterned Electronic Devices. AZoNano, viewed 10 December 2024, https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4491.

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this article?

Leave your feedback
Your comment type
Submit

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.