Ubiquitous Graphene Electronics on Scotch Tape.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electronics Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional flexible electronics often rely on plastic substrates like polyimide or polyethylene terephthalate.
• Attaching electronics to various surfaces and achieving high flexibility remains a challenge in developing ubiquitous electronic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel concept of graphene transistors fabricated on readily available Scotch tape.
• To explore the potential of Scotch tape as a substrate for flexible, foldable, and attachable electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Graphene transistors were fabricated on Scotch tape substrates.
• The mechanical properties of the Scotch tape adhesive layer were analyzed for strain relaxation during bending.
• Electrical characteristics, including electron mobility, were measured for the fabricated devices.

Main Results:

• The Scotch tape substrate demonstrated ease of attachment to various objects, including banknotes, curved surfaces, and human skin.
• The adhesive layer's low shear modulus effectively relaxed strain during bending, enabling significant flexibility.
• Graphene transistors operated at a low supply voltage of 2.5 V due to a high gate dielectric capacitance (1.5 μF cm⁻²).
• As-fabricated devices exhibited high electron mobility (1326 ± 155 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹), which remained high (1254 ± 478 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) even after crumpling.

Conclusions:

• Scotch tape presents a viable and versatile substrate for fabricating high-performance graphene transistors.
• The developed technology holds significant potential for applications in ubiquitous, flexible, and wearable electronics.
• The ability to integrate electronics onto diverse surfaces and withstand mechanical deformation opens new avenues for electronic system design.