Graphene printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11834739-B2
Application number	US-201817047015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Jun 13, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

Graphene printing is disclosed. A disclosed example graphene printing apparatus includes a gas source to cause a graphene precursor gas to flow across a surface of a substrate, and a localized heat source to locally heat portions of the surface to cause graphene to grow at the portions of the surface based on a printing pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A graphene printing apparatus comprising:
a print surface bed configured to have a substrate placed thereon that is metallic, silicon, or oxide;
a gas source of a graphene precursor gas;
a heat source;
a processor; and
a memory storing program code that, upon execution by the processor, is configured to:
cause the graphene precursor gas to flow from the gas source across the substrate placed on the print surface bed and that is metallic, silicon, or oxide; and
cause the heat source to locally heat portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide according to a printing pattern such that graphene grows in correspondence with the printing pattern at the portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide upon subsequent cooling.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the heat source comprises a laser device.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat source comprises an electron beam or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the gas source comprises an emitter movable or orientable along with the heat source,
and wherein the program code, upon execution by the processor, is configured to cause the graphene precursor gas to flow by aiming or directing the emitter to direct the graphene precursor gas onto the portions according to the printing pattern.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a movable printhead configured to move the heat source relative to the substrate in at least one of an x-direction, a y-direction, and a z-direction.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to rotate the localized heat source based on the printing pattern.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes copper.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the heat source is disposed under a first surface of the substrate that is opposite to a second surface of the substrate above which the gas source of the graphene precursor gas is disposed,
and wherein the program code upon execution by the processor, is configured to cause the heat source to locally heat the portions according to the printing pattern by causing the heat source to locally heat the portions from the first surface under which the heat source is disposed.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a chamber in which the print surface bed is disposed.

10. A method comprising:
causing, by a processor, a graphene precursor gas to flow from a gas source across a substrate placed on a print surface bed and that is metallic, silicon, or oxide; and
causing, by the processor, a heat source to locally heat portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide according to a printing pattern such that graphene grows in correspondence with the printing pattern at the portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide upon subsequent cooling.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the gas source comprises an emitter movable or orientable along with the heat source,
and wherein causing, by the processor, the graphene precursor gas to flow comprises aiming or directing the emitter to direct the graphene precursor gas onto the portions according to the printing pattern.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the heat source is disposed under a first surface of the substrate that is opposite to a second surface of the substrate above which the gas source of the graphene precursor gas is disposed,
and wherein causing, by the processor, the heat source to locally heat the portions according to the printing pattern comprises causing the heat source to locally heat the portions from the first surface under which the heat source is disposed.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by a processor to perform processing comprising:
causing a graphene precursor gas to flow from a gas source across a substrate placed on a print surface bed and that is metallic, silicon, or oxide; and
causing a heat source to locally heat portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide according to a printing pattern such that graphene grows in correspondence with the printing pattern at the portions of the substrate that is metallic, silicon, or oxide upon subsequent cooling.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the gas source comprises an emitter movable or orientable along with the heat source,
and wherein causing the graphene precursor gas to flow comprises aiming or directing the emitter to direct the graphene precursor gas onto the portions according to the printing pattern.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the heat source is disposed under a first surface of the substrate that is opposite to a second surface of the substrate above which the gas source of the graphene precursor gas is disposed,
and wherein causing the heat source to locally heat the portions according to the printing pattern comprises causing the heat source to locally heat the portions from the first surface under which the heat source is disposed.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Ionescu Robert
• Holder Helen A
• Ge Ning
• Wittkopf Jarrid

Classifications

• C23C16/047 Primary

  using irradiation by energy or particles · CPC title

• C01B32/186 Primary

  by chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• C23C16/26

  Deposition of carbon only · CPC title

• C23C16/305

  Sulfides, selenides, or tellurides · CPC title

• C23C16/483

  using coherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lasers · CPC title