Methods for Transferring Graphene to Substrates and Related Lithographic Stacks and Laminates

A method of transferring a graphene-metal bilayer to a substrate, comprising:

• spray coating or spin coating a first continuous polymer layer of poly(methyl methacrylate) (“PMMA”) with a thickness of about 1-2 μm onto an exposed face of a graphene layer of monolayer graphene, bilayer graphene, or multilayer graphene of the graphene-metal bilayer;
• pressing a first discontinuous polymer layer of polyimide (“PI”), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (“PET”), or poly(ethylene naphthalate) (“PEN”) with a thickness of about 25-50μm into an exposed face of the first continuous polymer layer with heat, the first discontinuous polymer layer perforated therethrough with the array of perforations;
• spray coating or spin coating a second continuous polymer layer of poly(vinyl alcohol) (“PVA”) with a thickness of about 1-2 μm onto an exposed face of a metal layer of the graphene-metal bilayer;
• pressing a second discontinuous polymer layer of PI, PET, or PEN with a thickness of about 25-50 μm into an exposed face of the second continuous polymer layer with heat, the second discontinuous polymer layer perforated therethrough with the array of perforations;
• selectively etching the first continuous polymer layer with a first etchant of acetone through the perforations of the first discontinuous polymer layer to reexpose the face of the graphene layer;
• laminating the substrate of thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) by pressing the face of the graphene layer into a surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate optionally including an adhesive applied thereon;
• and
• selectively etching the second continuous polymer layer with a second etchant of water through the perforations of the second discontinuous polymer layer to reexpose the face of the metal layer, thereby transferring the graphene-metal bilayer to the substrate.

A lithographic stack for transferring a graphene-metal bilayer to a substrate, comprising:

• a graphene-metal bilayer;
• a first sacrificial layer over the graphene-metal bilayer including:
• a first continuous polymer layer over a graphene layer of the graphene-metal bilayer;
• and
• a first discontinuous polymer layer over the first continuous polymer layer;
• and
• a second sacrificial layer under the graphene-metal bilayer including:
• a second continuous polymer layer under a metal layer of the graphene-metal bilayer, the first continuous polymer layer and the second continuous polymer layer of two different materials having exclusive lability between at least two different etchants;
• and
• a second discontinuous polymer layer under the second continuous polymer layer.