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Capillary-Force-Assisted Clean-Stamp Transfer of Two-Dimensional Materials
Xuezhi Ma1, Qiushi Liu1, Da Xu1
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, §Department of Physics, and ∥Material Science and Engineering Program, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States.
Nano Letters
|October 24, 2017
Summary
A new clean-stamp technique uses capillary forces and an evaporative liquid for efficient two-dimensional (2D) material transfer. This method enables high-performance graphene transistors and optoelectronics with minimal contamination.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) electronics, especially heterostructures, requires clean transfer methods for 2D materials.
- Current techniques often involve sacrificial layers or bulky crystal flakes, potentially introducing contamination or limiting scalability.
- Maintaining the intrinsic properties of 2D materials during transfer is crucial for device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, clean, and efficient method for transferring 2D materials.
- To enable the fabrication of high-performance 2D electronic and optoelectronic devices.
- To understand the underlying physics governing the transfer process.
Main Methods:
- Development of a capillary-force-assisted clean-stamp technique using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
- Utilization of a thin layer of evaporative liquid (e.g., water) to temporarily enhance adhesion for material pick-up.
- Condensation of liquid from vapor phase onto PDMS to ensure low contamination.
- Fabrication and characterization of graphene-based transistors and heterostructure optoelectronics.
- Development of a capillary-force model to explain the transfer mechanism.
Main Results:
- Successful transfer of 2D materials with minimal contamination, preserving their chemical and electrical properties.
- Fabrication of graphene transistors exhibiting low charge-neutral concentration (3 × 10^10 cm^-2) and high carrier mobility (up to 48,820 cm^2 V^-1 s^-1).
- Demonstration of high-speed operation in fabricated heterostructure optoelectronics.
- Validation of the developed capillary-force model.
Conclusions:
- The capillary-force-assisted clean-stamp technique offers a simple, clean, and effective method for 2D material transfer.
- This technique facilitates the production of high-performance 2D electronic and optoelectronic devices.
- The findings provide a fundamental understanding of capillary forces in 2D material handling.
