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

家庭、智能手机、电子设备和车辆都配备了各种传感器来检测温度、湿度、压力、空气质量、医疗诊断、触摸、光线、水位、高温表面和氧气水平。一个高性价比、高灵敏度的平台具有通用性，可以整合到不同的系统中，用于感知不同的刺激，这一点很重要。这个i-Corps团队已经建造了一种经济高效、高灵敏度的传感元件，它具有功能化的单原子厚度的石墨烯，可以用于生产各种传感器。此外，该团队还开发了一种通过相同的机制生产基于石墨烯的高频电子器件的工艺。这项技术预计将对传感器和半导体行业产生重大的经济影响。石墨烯是一种超灵敏、超薄的底物，能够检测单个分子。要将这一特性融入到工作的传感器中，石墨烯的功能化是重要的。然而，这是一个重大的挑战，因为为了保持石墨烯的优异电子性质，其官能化必须保留其平面晶格(为了高迁移率)和它的碳的sp2杂化状态(为了高载流子密度)。为了实现这些目标，i-Corps团队开发了一种传感器基础，在此基础上，石墨烯的共轭体系被功能化，同时保留了其晶格完整性和卓越的灵敏度。此外，该小组还开发了一种直接在介质衬底上生长石墨烯的工艺。功能化的石墨烯将受益于增强的专属性，并将促进原子层沉积栅氧化物(目前的主要挑战)，以制造高速场效应晶体管。

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.