Transfer of CVD-Grown Monolayer Graphene onto Arbitrary Substrates

TLDR

The authors developed reproducible dry and wet transfer methods that enable large‑area CVD monolayer graphene to be transferred onto shallow‑depression, perforated, and flat substrates, including a novel PDMS‑frame dry technique that avoids liquid trapping. These techniques achieve 98 % coverage of perforated substrates, reduce cracks and sheet resistance on flat substrates (≈980 Ω sq), and produce 97.6 % transmittance on glass, enabling high‑performance graphene device fabrication.

Abstract

Reproducible dry and wet transfer techniques were developed to improve the transfer of large-area monolayer graphene grown on copper foils by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The techniques reported here allow transfer onto three different classes of substrates: substrates covered with shallow depressions, perforated substrates, and flat substrates. A novel dry transfer technique was used to make graphene-sealed microchambers without trapping liquid inside. The dry transfer technique utilizes a polydimethylsiloxane frame that attaches to the poly(methyl methacrylate) spun over the graphene film, and the monolayer graphene was transferred onto shallow depressions with 300 nm depth. The improved wet transfer onto perforated substrates with 2.7 μm diameter holes yields 98% coverage of holes covered with continuous films, allowing the ready use of Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy to study the intrinsic properties of CVD-grown monolayer graphene. Additionally, monolayer graphene transferred onto flat substrates has fewer cracks and tears, as well as lower sheet resistance than previous transfer techniques. Monolayer graphene films transferred onto glass had a sheet resistance of ∼980 Ω/sq and a transmittance of 97.6%. These transfer techniques open up possibilities for the fabrication of various graphene devices with unique configurations and enhanced performance.