Graphene layers for identification of products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207345-A1
Application number	US-201514599637-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a security device, in particular, a multilayered security device. The multilayered security device includes a substrate layer having a first substrate. The substrate layer attaches to the product. The multilayered security device also includes a graphene layer. The graphene layer has a first continuous graphene sheet that is made of a monolayer of covalently-bonded carbon atoms. The graphene layer also forms, in response to exposure to a verification stimulus, a contrasting pattern with respect to an exposed substrate area from the substrate layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multilayered security device for verification of a product, comprising:
a substrate layer having a first substrate, the substrate layer attaching to the product; and a graphene layer having:
a first continuous graphene sheet that is made of a monolayer of covalently-bonded carbon atoms, and
the graphene layer forms, in response to exposure to a verification stimulus, a contrasting pattern with respect to an exposed substrate area from the substrate layer.

2 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the graphene layer further comprises:
a second continuous graphene sheet that forms a second contrasting pattern with the first continuous graphene sheet and the substrate layer in response to exposure to a verification stimulus.

3 . The multilayered security device of claim 2 , wherein the second continuous graphene sheet is substantially parallel to the first continuous graphene sheet.

4 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protective coating layer that forms a protective barrier surrounding the graphene layer having a particular refractive index and a particular thickness, the protective coating layer is configured to enhance contrast of the graphene layer.

5 . The multilayered security device of claim 3 , wherein the particular refractive index is 1.30-1.46.

6 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein a second substrate is embedded within the first substrate and the exposed substrate area from the substrate layer forms a third contrasting pattern with the graphene layer.

7 . The multilayered security device of claim 6 , wherein the second substrate is Silicon Dioxide.

8 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is sapphire.

9 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the contrasting pattern has a length of at least 100 microns.

10 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the graphene sheet is continuous throughout the contrasting pattern.

11 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate is an organic light emitting diode.

12 . The multilayered security device of claim 1 , wherein the contrasting pattern is visual and the verification stimulus is visible light.

13 . A method of manufacturing a multilayered security device, comprising:
creating a substrate layer; transferring one or more layers of graphene sheet onto the substrate layer such that each graphene sheet forms an exposed substrate area on the substrate layer and a different contrasting pattern with the exposed substrate area when exposed to a verification stimulus, each graphene sheet is created by a process that creates a monolayer of covalently-bonded carbon atoms in a continuous sheet; applying a protective coat to the one or more layers of graphene sheet; and removing a portion of the substrate layer.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the protective coat is polyacrylate.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the removing a portion of the substrate includes utilizing Xenon Diflouride.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the removing a portion of the substrate includes removing the portion of the substrate with potassium hydroxide.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the transferring the one or more layers utilizes Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of the graphene sheet.

18 . A method of verifying a product using a multilayered security device, comprising
applying a visible light verification stimulus to a graphene-based security device attached to the product, the graphene-based security device having a substrate layer, one or more graphene sheets that are each made of a monolayer of covalently-bonded carbon atoms; receiving a captured pattern from the security device through a capture device, the captured pattern a result of interaction of the visible light verification stimulus between one or more graphene sheets and a substrate; determining whether the captured pattern matches an expected pattern; and labeling the product as authentic in response to the captured pattern matching the expected pattern.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein applying the visible light stimulus includes:
backlighting the security device such that visible light is transmitted through the substrate then the one or more graphene sheets.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein applying the visible light stimulus includes:
applying visible light to the security device such that visible light is reflected from the one or more graphene sheets.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Farmer Damon B
• Pfeiffer Dirk
• Smith Joshua T

Classifications

• B42D25/465

  using chemicals or adhesives · CPC title

• G01N21/95607

  using a comparative method · CPC title

• G01N2201/062

  LED's · CPC title

• B42D25/36 Primary

  comprising special materials · CPC title

• G01N21/534 Primary

  by measuring transmission alone, i.e. determining opacity · CPC title