Technologies Available for License

2021-016: Automated Mechanical Exfoliation of Layered Materials for Generation of 2-Dimensional Materials

Invention: 2021-016

Patent Status: Application Number WO2023023260A2 was published on February 23, 2023

For technical and licensing related questions, email tcp@bnl.gov.

Summary

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Mechanized exfoliator device layout, a) Exfoliator components, b) Press roller.

One of the challenges in two-dimensional (2D) material research and manufacturing is the facile fabrication of high quality raw 2D material flakes, such as graphene monolayers generated from graphite crystals. So far, the best quality monolayers are fabricated using manual mechanical exfoliation methods. While this method is very simple and handy; the yield is low, the generated material quality is highly unpredictable, and it depends on the proficiency of researchers as well as inherent irregularity of the process. To address these problems, Brookhaven researchers developed a device and method for an automated roll-to-roll exfoliation platform, designed to yield high quality 2D layers in more controlled and predictable manner.

Description

The key idea behind this high-throughput automatic exfoliation platform is to apply a miniature roll-to-roll process to mechanical exfoliation and provide increased control and reproducibility of the 2D layers using meticulously chosen components and precisely controlling repeatable mechanical motions. The method of mechanical exfoliation includes exfoliating from bulk crystal to a tape, and then exfoliating from the tape to a substrate. However, exfoliation can be conducted directly on a target substrate with precise control of the relevant parameters. In addition, new heterostructure materials can be formed by layering exfoliated ultrathin 2D flakes in an appropriate sequence and with angular control of the atomic lattice orientation between layers.

Journal Publication & Intellectual Property

• Automating 2-D Material Exfoliation with Suji Park (.pdf)
• WO 2023/023260 A2 (.pdf)