SBIR Phase II: Roll-to-roll Production of Uniform Graphene Films at Atmospheric Pressure and Low Temperature

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将演示和开发连续石墨烯薄膜的卷对卷生产技术。石墨烯生产技术基于石墨烯合成和石墨烯处理方面的创新，解决了限制石墨烯工业化生产的关键缺陷。合成过程是在常压下进行的，允许在穿过生长区域的连续铜箔上形成卷对卷石墨烯。这消除了对昂贵的真空炉的需要，并允许制造大于炉子尺寸的石墨烯薄膜。在第一阶段开发的石墨烯处理工艺使石墨烯薄片能够从金属催化剂转移到几乎任何光滑的表面，而不需要任何高温步骤，也不需要使用苛刻的化学品。最重要的是，石墨烯转移保留了原始金属衬底以供重复使用。可重复使用的衬底大大降低了石墨烯生产的成本，并消除了工艺中最大的废物来源。在第二阶段，我们将演示石墨烯合成和转移到新表面的连续薄膜工艺，并设计一个大面积卷到卷的石墨烯生产系统。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过工业规模获得高质量、低成本的石墨烯薄板。石墨烯透明、导电、导热、坚固、柔韧、气体不透，是一种新兴的超级材料？建议的应用不计其数，包括用于显示器和光伏的柔性透明导体、用于通信的高频电子设备、化学和生物传感器、防腐层、过滤和海水淡化、能量存储等。石墨烯薄膜的工业批量将使这些和其他应用的开发成为可能，并为社会带来巨大的好处。与竞争概念相比，我们将开发的技术在成本、质量和设计灵活性方面具有优势。这个SBIR项目的成功完成将使Graphene Frontiers成为一家领先的商业供应商，以诱人的价格向企业和研究机构提供高质量的石墨烯。我们的业务模式包括销售石墨烯材料的收入、我们专有生长技术的许可以及专业产品。我们的第一个基于石墨烯的产品，用于电子显微镜的电子显微镜栅格，已经与开发合作伙伴一起销售。这些进展将使Graphene Frontiers能够吸引来自投资者、客户和其他非SBIR来源的额外资金。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate and develop technology for the roll-to-roll production of continuous graphene films. The graphene production technology is based upon innovations in the graphene synthesis and graphene handling, addressing critical deficiencies limiting industrial manufacture of graphene. The synthesis process is performed at atmospheric pressure, allowing roll-to-roll graphene formation on continuous tapes of copper foil passed through the growth region. This eliminates the need for an expensive vacuum furnace and allows fabrication of graphene films larger than the furnace size. The graphene handling process developed during Phase I enables the transfer of graphene sheets from the metal catalyst to nearly any smooth surface without any high temperature steps and without the use of harsh chemicals. Most importantly, the graphene transfer preserves the original metal substrate for reuse. The reusable substrate dramatically reduces the cost of graphene production and eliminates the largest source of waste in the process. In Phase II, we will demonstrate the continuous film processes for graphene synthesis and transfer to new surfaces and design a large area roll-to-roll graphene production system. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is through the industrial scale availability of high quality, low cost graphene sheets. Transparent, electrically and thermally conductive, strong, flexible, and gas impermeable, graphene is an emerging ?super material? with innumerable proposed applications including flexible transparent conductors for displays and photovoltaics; high frequency electronics for communications; chemical and biological sensors; corrosion barrier; filtration and water desalination; energy storage; and many more. Industrial quantities of graphene films will enable the development of these and other applications, with substantial benefit to society. The technology that we will to develop has advantages of cost, quality, and design flexibility over competing concepts. Successful completion of this SBIR project will establish Graphene Frontiers as a leading commercial supplier of high-quality graphene to the business and research communities at an attractive price. Our business model includes revenue from sale of the graphene material, licensing of our proprietary growth technology, and specialized products. Our first graphene-based product, TEM grids for electron microscopy, is already on sale with a development partner. These advances will position Graphene Frontiers to attract additional funding from investors, customers, and other non-SBIR sources.