I-Corps: Large-Area 'eta6-Functionalized' Graphene Sheets with Preserved Lattice for Semiconductor Applications and Industry

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Homes, smartphones, electronic devices and vehicles are equipped with a variety of sensors to detect temperature, humidity, pressure, air-quality, medical diagnostics, touch, light, water-level, hot-surface, and oxygen levels. A cost-effective, highly sensitive platform with versatility to be incorporated into diverse systems for sensing different stimuli is important. This I-Corps team has built a cost-effective, high-sensitivity sensing-element with functionalized single-atom-thick graphene, which can be applied to produce a wide variety of sensors. Further, the team also developed a process to produce graphene based high frequency electronic devices via the same mechanism. The technology is expected to have a significant economic impact in the sensors and semiconductors industries. Graphene is an ultrasensitive, ultrathin substrate with the ability to detect a single molecule. To incorporate this property into working sensors, the graphene functionalization is important. However, this is a major challenge since to preserve the superior electronic properties of graphene, its functionalization must retain its planar lattice (for high mobility) and its carbons' sp2 hybridized state (for high carrier density). To achieve these goals, the I-Corps team has developed a sensor base where the ?à?{conjugated system of graphene is functionalized, while retaining its lattice integrity and superior sensitivity. Further, the group has developed a process to grow graphene directly on a dielectric substrate. Functionalized graphene will benefit from enhanced specificity and will facilitate atomic layer deposition of gate-oxide (currently a major challenge) for fabrication of high speed field effect transistors.