Graphene-based device with liquid metal contacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704964-B1
Application number	US-201615166093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A device includes a substrate, a layer of graphene disposed over at least a portion of the substrate, at least one conductive trace proximate to the layer of graphene, one or more liquid metal contacts electrically connecting the layer of graphene and the at least one conductive trace, and an encasing material disposed over and enclosing the liquid metal contacts. The liquid metal contacts are in contact with a portion of the layer of graphene and an adjoining portion of the respective conductive trace. The liquid metal contacts may comprise a eutectic alloy in stable liquid form at between about −19° C. and about 1300° C., such as a gallium-based alloy. The conductive traces allow for external device connections and may be partially enclosed within the encasing material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device comprising:
a substrate;
a layer of graphene disposed over at least a portion of the substrate;
at least one conductive trace proximate to the layer of graphene;
one or more liquid metal contacts, wherein each liquid metal contact electrically connects the layer of graphene and a separate one of each of the at least one conductive trace, the liquid metal contacts comprising a eutectic alloy in stable liquid form over a temperature range of between about −19° C. and about 1300° C., the liquid metal contacts each being in contact with a portion of the layer of graphene and an adjoining portion of a respective one of the at least one conductive trace; and
an encasing material disposed over and enclosing the liquid metal contacts.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a flexible material.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a dielectric material.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a polymer.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the eutectic alloy is a gallium-based alloy.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the gallium-based alloy comprises two or more of gallium, indium, and tin.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the encasing material comprises a synthetic organic-based material.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the layer of graphene comprises monolayer graphene.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the layer of graphene comprises multilayer graphene.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the layer of graphene comprises graphene microstructures.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the layer of graphene comprises graphene nanostructures.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive trace comprises a conductive path configured to allow at least one of current and voltage to pass through the liquid-metal contacts.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive trace is configured to have impedance matching to an external circuit.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive trace is disposed on top of the substrate adjacent to the layer of graphene.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive trace is at least partially disposed within the encasing material.

16. A device comprising:
a dielectric substrate;
a layer of graphene disposed over at least a portion of the dielectric substrate;
at least one conductive trace disposed on top of the substrate adjacent to the layer of graphene;
one or more liquid metal contacts, wherein each liquid metal contact electrically connects the layer of graphene and a separate one of each of the at least one conductive trace, the liquid metal contacts comprising a gallium-based alloy in stable liquid form over a temperature range of between about −19° C. and about 1300° C., the liquid metal contacts each being in contact with a portion of the layer of graphene and an adjoining portion of a respective one of the at least one conductive trace; and
an encasing material disposed over and enclosing the liquid metal contacts, wherein the encasing material comprises a synthetic organic-based material.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the substrate comprises a flexible material.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the gallium-based alloy comprises two or more of gallium, indium, and tin.

19. A device comprising:
a flexible dielectric substrate;
a layer of graphene disposed over at least a portion of the dielectric substrate;
at least one conductive trace disposed on top of the substrate adjacent to the layer of graphene;
one or more liquid metal contacts, wherein each liquid metal contact electrically connects the layer of graphene and a separate one of each of the at least one conductive trace, the liquid metal contacts comprising a gallium-based alloy in stable liquid form over a temperature range of between about −19° C. and about 1300° C. and comprising two or more of gallium, indium, and tin, the liquid metal contacts each being in contact with a portion of the layer of graphene and an adjoining portion of a respective one of the at least one conductive trace; and
a synthetic organic-based encasing material disposed over and enclosing the liquid metal contacts, wherein the at least one conductive path is at least partially disposed within the encasing material.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the layer of graphene comprises one of monolayer graphene, multilayer graphene, graphene microstructures, and graphene nanostructures.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Ordonez Richard C
• Kamin Nackieb M
• Garmire David
• Hayashi Cody K

Classifications

• H01L29/78603

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L29/1606

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L29/45 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C22C28/00

  Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00 · CPC title

• H10D62/882 Primary

  Graphene · CPC title