Maskless patterning and control of graphene layers
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorEugene S. Zakar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A maskless, patterned graphene film is produced through use of a tunable metal as a catalyst for graphene growth. The metal layer contains precisely defined textures that control the formation of the graphene film. Specifically, graphene growth can be controlled from F-LG (few layer graphene) down to 2-LG (2-layer graphene) and 1-LG (1-layer graphene). More than one texture can be created to form maskless patterns of graphene. Once the graphene layer(s) are grown, the film can be released from the metal and applied to any form and shape of rigid or flexible substrate for a variety of different applications where graphene cannot be normally grown directly.
Claims20
A method for selective growth and patterning of graphene, the method comprising:
- depositing a fine-grained metal or alloy on an oxidized silicon substrate;
- selectively annealing the metal during or post metal deposition to pattern one or more discrete regions of the metal which change the structure of the metal to amorphous, mixed texture, single texture or a combination thereof;
- performing hydrocarbon dissolution by introducing a carbon precursor gas into the atmosphere pressure chemical vapor deposition furnace;
- growing a graphene layer by cooling the furnace at a defined rate while maintaining existing atmospheric composition, where graphene grows only upon patterned metal having mixed or single texture and does not grow on patterned metal having an amorphous texture;
- and
- releasing a graphene layer from the metal.
A method for selective growth and patterning of graphene, the method comprising:
- depositing a fine-grained metal or alloy on an oxidized silicon substrate;
- selectively heating the metal using laser heating to pattern one or more discrete regions of the metal which change the structure of the metal to amorphous, mixed texture, single texture or a combination thereof;
- performing hydrocarbon dissolution by introducing a carbon precursor gas into the atmosphere pressure chemical vapor deposition furnace;
- growing a graphene layer by cooling the furnace at a defined rate while maintaining existing atmospheric composition, where graphene grows only upon patterned metal having mixed or single texture and does not grow on patterned metal having an amorphous texture;
- and
- releasing a graphene layer from the metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.