EAGER: Transfer by Contact using Adhesion Engineering for Integration of Two-Dimensional Materials into Functional Devices

石墨烯的发现导致了具有不同和独特性质的原子级薄的二维材料的发现。二维材料已迅速发展成为下一代电子学、光电子学和量子器件的主要材料平台之一。为了将这些材料集成到功能器件中，它们需要与其生长基底隔离并转移到目标表面上而不会损坏和污染。通过目前的转移技术实现这种材料集成是具有挑战性的，目前的转移技术通常依赖于使用附加支撑层的湿和高温工艺。EARLY概念探索性研究资助（EAGER）项目旨在通过开发和理解一种干燥和低温工艺来克服这些挑战，该工艺允许通过单个直接接触和分层步骤将二维材料从源直接转移到目标，而无需支撑层。这种技术可以帮助减少转移期间的损坏和污染，以实现否则难以以可扩展和高通量的方式实现的结构。因此，这个转移平台可以帮助提高我国在快速发展的二维材料及其应用领域的全球竞争力。这项研究计划将为这一领域的学生提供培训机会。这项研究的结果将直接整合为一个实验室教学模块，在一个新的课程正在开发。 本研究的目的是发展一种低温、无牺牲层的单层二维材料的干燥转移方法。在这种方法中，当使用对准的转印平台在受控条件下使源表面和目标表面接触并分层时，发生转印。其基础是利用促进成功转移的货车德瓦尔斯力之外的相互作用和粘附机制来工程化目标基底表面。EAGER将开发这种用于2D单层转移的方法，重点是通过调整表面化学终端和机械特性，研究粘附机制，探测传输质量并相应地针对损坏和污染进行优化，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值进行评估，更广泛的影响审查标准。

The discovery of graphene has led to the discovery of atomically thin two-dimensional materials with diverse and unique properties. Two-dimensional materials have rapidly grown into one of the leading material platforms for next-generation electronics, optoelectronics and quantum devices. For these materials to be integrated into functional devices, they need to be isolated from their growth substrate and transferred onto a target surface without damage and contamination. This materials integration is challenging to achieve through the current transfer techniques which generally rely on wet and high temperature processes using additional support layers. This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project looks to overcome these challenges by developing and understanding a dry and low-temperature process that allows direct transfer of two-dimensional materials from a source to target by a single direct contact and delamination step without a need for a support layer. Such a technique can help reduce damage and contamination during the transfer to achieve otherwise hard to realize structures in a scalable and high-throughput manner. As a result, this transfer platform can help in promoting our nation’s global competitiveness in the rapidly evolving field of two-dimensional materials and their applications. This research program will provide opportunities for training students in this area. The results of this research will be directly integrated as a laboratory teaching module in a new course being developed. The aim of this research is to develop a dry, low-temperature, sacrificial layer-free transfer of monolayer two-dimensional materials. In this approach, transfer occurs as the source and target surfaces are brought into contact and delaminated under controlled conditions using an aligned transfer printing platform. Foundational to this is engineering of the target substrate surface with interactions and adhesion mechanisms beyond van der Waals forces that promote a successful transfer. This EAGER will develop this approach for 2D monolayer transfer with a focus on surface adhesion engineering through tuning the surface chemical terminations and mechanical characteristics, studying the adhesion mechanisms, probing the transfer quality and accordingly optimizing for a damage and contamination-free transfer.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.