An investigation into graphene exfoliation and potential graphene application in MEMS devices
2011
The design of microelectromecanical systems (MEMS) and micro-opto-electromechanical systems (MOEMS) are often
materials-limited with respect to the efficiency and capability of the material. Graphene, a one atom thick honeycomb
lattice of carbon, is a highly desired material for MEMS applications. Relevant properties of graphene include the
material's optical transparency, mechanical strength, energy efficiency, and electrical and thermal conductivity due to its
electron mobility. Aforementioned properties make graphene a strong candidate to supplant existing transparent
electrode technology and replace the conventionally used material, indium-tin oxide. In this paper we present
preliminary results on work toward integration of graphene with MEMS structures.
We are studying mechanical exfoliation of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) crystals by repeatedly applying and
separating adhesive materials from the HOPG surface. The resulting graphene sheets are then transferred to silicon oxide
substrate using the previously applied adhesive material. We explored different adhesive options, particularly the use of
Kapton tape, to improve the yield of graphene isolation along with chemical cross-linking agents which operate on a
mechanism of photoinsertion of disassociated nitrene groups. These perfluorophenyl nitrenes participate in C=C addition
reactions with graphene monolayers creating a covalent binding between the substrate and graphene. We are focusing on
maximizing the size of isolated graphene sheets and comparing to conventional exfoliation. Preliminary results allow
isolation of few layer graphene (FLG) sheets (n<3) of approximately 10μm x 44μm. Photolithography could possibly be
utilized to tailor designs for microshutter technology to be used in future deep space telescopes.
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