Ordered Growth of Large Crystal Graphene by Laser-Based Localized Heating for High Throughput Production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258081-A1
Application number	US-201415032219-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making an ordered graphene structure includes exposing a substrate to a laser beam to locally melt a portion of the substrate, exposing the substrate to a laser beam in the presence of a carbon source, to form a nucleation site for a graphene crystal, and either a) moving either the substrate or the laser beam relative to the other, or b) decreasing the laser beam power, in order to increase the size of the graphene crystal, thereby forming an ordered graphene structure. The ordered structure can be a plurality of columns, hexagons, or quadrilaterals. Each ordered structure can have a single crystal of graphene. A polymer coating can be formed on the ordered graphene structure to form a coated graphene structure.

First claim

1 . A method of making an ordered graphene structure, the method comprising:
exposing a substrate to a laser beam to locally melt a portion of the substrate; exposing the substrate to a laser beam in the presence of a carbon source to form a nucleation site for a graphene crystal; and either a) moving either the substrate or the laser beam relative to the other, or b) decreasing the laser beam power, in order to increase the size of the graphene crystal, thereby forming an ordered graphene structure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered structure is a plurality of columns.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered structure is a plurality of hexagons.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ordered structure is a plurality of quadrilaterals.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each ordered structure has a single crystal of graphene.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the quadrilateral is a trapezoid.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the trapezoid is a rectangle.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rectangle is a square.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing the substrate to a plurality of laser beams.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a rigid support at a graphene grain boundary.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the substrate to a temperature near, but below, the melting point of the substrate.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to a laser beam to locally melt a portion of the substrate drive impurities away from locally melted portion.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a polymer coating on the ordered graphene structure to form a coated graphene structure.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is direct coated or laminated onto the graphene structure.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising stacking or rolling the coated graphene structure.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method is performed within a chamber.

17 . A method of making a coated graphene structure, the method comprising:
exposing a substrate to a laser beam to locally melt a portion of the substrate; exposing the substrate to a laser beam in the presence of a carbon source to form a nucleation site for a graphene crystal; either a) moving either the substrate or the laser beam relative to the other, or b) decreasing the laser beam power, in order to increase the size of the graphene crystal, thereby forming an ordered graphene structure; forming a polymer coating on the ordered graphene structure to form a coated graphene structure; and stacking or rolling the coated graphene structure.

18 . An ordered graphene structure comprising a plurality of graphene crystals shaped as a plurality of columns, a plurality of hexagons, or a plurality of quadrilaterals.

19 . An apparatus for growing graphene, the apparatus comprising:
a) a chamber housing a substrate; b) a laser arranged to direct a laser beam onto the substrate; c) a means for providing a gaseous carbon source to the chamber; d) a substrate handling mechanism adapted for holding a substrate; and e) a means for applying a protective coating.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the substrate handling mechanism is positioned within the chamber.

Assignees

• Nat Univ Singapore

Inventors

• Özyilmaz Barbaros
• Toh Chee Tat

Classifications

• C30B13/24 Primary

  using electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• H10D62/882

  Graphene · CPC title

• C30B25/12

  Substrate holders or susceptors · CPC title

• C30B25/105 Primary

  by irradiation or electric discharge · CPC title

• C30B29/605

  Products containing multiple oriented crystallites, e.g. columnar crystallites · CPC title