GRAPHENE TRANSFER: A Stamp for All Substrates

Authors / Journal

Jae-Young Choi

Nature Nanotechnology / 2013 / vol.8, iss5, p311

Abstract

Owing to recent advances in chemical vapour deposition, graphene sheets can now be made in quantities that are large enough for essentially all research and development purposes1–3. For practical applications, however, new methods are required to transfer the graphene from the growth substrate to a target substrate without damaging either the graphene sheet or the target surface. Various transfer methods have previously been devised, but these either introduce defects into the honeycomb structure of the graphene or damage the target substrate, especially ‘soft’ substrates such as self-assembled monolayers.

A positive result

Methods for transferring a graphene monolayer from the growth substrate to the target substrate. a, In the carrier-film method, the graphene layer is attached to a polymeric carrier film or a thermal release tape. After the growth substrate is etched away, the resulting carrier film/graphene monolayer is placed on the desired target substrate and the carrier film is eliminated by chemical dissolution or thermal detachment. b, In the stamp method, the graphene and growth substrate are picked up by an elastomeric stamp and stamped onto the desired substrate. The stamp is removed mechanically. c, In the self-release transfer method, a specific polymer film (self-release layer) is first spun-cast over the graphene. An elastomeric stamp is then placed in conformal contact with the self-release layer. The growth substrate is etched away to leave the graphene/self-release layer on the elastomeric stamp. The graphene is then brought into contact with the desired substrate by stamping and the stamp is removed mechanically. Finally, the self-release polymer is dissolved under mild conditions in a suitable solvent.