Graphene CVD sheets - updates and market status - Page 15

Aixtron announced today that Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has ordered an AIX BM plasma-enhanced CVD system to support their graphene and carbon nanotubes research. The reactor can handle 4" substrates and Aixtron will deliver it in Q3 2014.

This is KAUST's first BM Pro system, which will be used to expand their graphene research with an aim to find a "wide range of new applications".

Graphene Frontier, spun off from the University of Pennsylvania, is producing graphene using their own Atmospheric Pressure CVD (APCVD) technology, a roll-to-roll process that does not require a vacuum. The company published a nice short video introducing the technology, with a focus on sensor applications.

In November 2013 I posted an article describing Graphene Frontier's technology and business following my talk with Michael D. Patterson, the company's CEO.

Researchers from MIT and the University of Michigan developed a new way to deposit graphene on nonmetal substrates. Current methods usually involved growing graphene on metal substrates, but this creates problems when you try to transfer the material to a different substrates.

The new method still grows the graphene on a metal substrate - but they do it in a way that grows the graphene on both sides of the metal substrate. The process starts with the nonmetal substrate of choice, which is coated with nickel. Using CVD, graphene is grown on the nickel - but the graphene forms two layers, one of them between the nickel and the nonmetal substrate. The nickel is then easily peeled off which leaves a single graphene layer on the nonmetal substrate.

Aixtron announced today that Shanghai University ordered a BM R&D reactor that will be used for graphene and CNT research at the University's Sino-Sweden Microsystem Integration Technology Center (SMIT).

The University researchers will use this new reactor for their research into CNT and graphene application using thermal- and plasma-based chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The researchers aim to develop next generation thermal interface/dissipating materials, heat spreaders, multi-chip interconnects and through silicon vias (TSV) for semiconductor chip packaging.

Researchers from Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology developed a new dry process to transfer CVD-grown graphene. Avoiding any wet chemistry step means that you can place the graphene on water sensitive substrates. The researchers explain that this method may create better performing graphene as they contain fewer defects and charged impurities.

The process starts by coating the graphene with polymeric bilayers made of polybutadiene (PBU) and PMMA. The catalytic metal beneath the graphene are removed and the polymers and graphene are together placed on a sample holder. This is moved onto the target substrate and then nitrogen gas is used to break the edges of the graphene/polymer structure, which is then laminated onto the target substrate.

Update: the deal is now complete, and Versarien acquired 85% of 2-DTech

Advanced engineering materials maker Versarien announced that it acquired 2-DTech (a subsidiary of the University of Manchester) for £440,000 (around $740,000) in cash and ordinary shares.

2-DTech makes and supplies 2D materials, including CVD-made graphene, graphene platelets, graphene oxide and other 2D materials. The company also offers prototyping of graphene based devices. One of 2-DTech suppliers is Graphene Industries.

PlanarTech licensed a MoS2 process technology from Columbia University. The company can now provide comprehensive training to its customers in the growth of monolayer MoS2 by CVD using the methods developed at Columbia.

PlanarTech says they delivered their first MoS2-capable CVD system to the lab of Prof. Jongmin Kim at the University of Oxford.

Researchers from Rice University developed a method to create a hybrid graphene-nanotube material that promises to have a better electrical and mechanical qualities than both materials. They call this new material "rebar graphene" because it resembles the way a rebar is used in concrete.

The researchers say that the resulting material contains large, flexible and conductive transparent sheets of graphene that are much easier to manipulate than pure graphene. A few layers of this new material could prove to be a cost-effective ITO alternative for displays and solar cells.

CVD Materials Corporation (a subsidiary of CVD Equipment) is now accepting orders for 300 mm graphene grown on a copper foil. This production is based on the company's patent-pending CVD graphene process.

CVD says that their EasyGraphene manufacturing solution is easy, reliable and robust. The company anticipates that this process will become the high quality CVD graphene production standard.

Last month Cientifica signed an exclusivity agreement with London Graphene to develop technology using graphene for energy storage. Today Cientifica announced that London Graphene signed an option agreement with ISIS Innovation (the technology transfer office for the University of Oxford) to license a patent filed by Isis Innovation.

This patent application details a 2D nanomaterial CVD-based production process that can be used to make high quality graphene on copper foil. This patent will be used in the company's energy storage project, and in fact the option is exclusive to the fields of capacitors and batteries.