U.S. patent application number 16/353890 was filed with the patent office on 2019-07-11 for method for continuous production of high quality graphene.
The applicant listed for this patent is HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Avetik HARUTYUNYAN.
Application Number | 20190211443 16/353890 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59848245 |
Filed Date | 2019-07-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190211443 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HARUTYUNYAN; Avetik |
July 11, 2019 |
METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY GRAPHENE
Abstract
A continuous method for manufacturing graphene films using a
metal substrate, wherein a first surface of the metal substrate is
heated such that a top layer of the first surface melts to form a
molten metal layer, and devices for carrying out the same.
Inventors: |
HARUTYUNYAN; Avetik;
(Columbus, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
59848245 |
Appl. No.: |
16/353890 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15457763 |
Mar 13, 2017 |
10273574 |
|
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16353890 |
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62310350 |
Mar 18, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B82Y 30/00 20130101;
B82Y 40/00 20130101; Y10S 977/734 20130101; C23C 16/01 20130101;
C01B 32/186 20170801; C23C 16/545 20130101; C23C 16/003 20130101;
Y10S 977/843 20130101; C23C 16/26 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C23C 16/01 20060101
C23C016/01; C23C 16/00 20060101 C23C016/00; C23C 16/54 20060101
C23C016/54; C01B 32/186 20060101 C01B032/186; C23C 16/26 20060101
C23C016/26 |
Claims
1. A continuous method for preparing a film comprising graphene,
the method comprising: providing a metal substrate; continuously
advancing the metal substrate into and through a processing
chamber; heating the metal substrate to form a molten metal layer
on a top surface of the metal substrate; contacting the molten
metal layer with a carbon source gas to form a graphene-comprising
layer substantially covering the molten metal layer of the top
surface of the metal substrate; solidifying the molten metal layer;
advancing the metal substrate having the graphene-comprising layer
out of the processing chamber to form a film comprising
graphene.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal substrate comprises a
metal foil or a metal film having a metal selected from the group
consisting of copper, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, aluminum, and
alloys thereof.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the metal foil or metal
film is provided with a second substrate comprising a metalloid
and/or an oxide thereof.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the metalloid and/or
oxide thereof is selected from the group consisting of Si,
SiO.sub.2, and combinations thereof.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an atmosphere of the
processing chamber is between about 10.sup.-8 atm and 100 atm
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein contacting the molten
metal layer with the carbon source gas further comprises contacting
the molten metal layer with a secondary gas, the secondary gas
being selected from the group consisting of argon, helium,
nitrogen, hydrogen, and mixtures thereof.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the carbon source gas
comprises methane and the secondary gas comprises nitrogen, argon,
and hydrogen.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a flow rate ratio of
nitrogen to argon to hydrogen to methane into the processing
chamber is about 20:60:40:1.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the
molten metal layer is such that a solutal Marangoni number for the
metal substrate having the molten metal layer on the top surface
thereof is lower than 80, wherein the solutal Marangoni number is:
M a s = .gamma. c d .DELTA. c .mu. D L ##EQU00004## wherein:
.gamma..sub.c is a solutal surface tension coefficient, .DELTA.c is
a concentration gradient across a melt, d is the thickness of the
molten metal layer, D.sub.L is molecular diffusivity in liquid, and
.mu. is dynamic viscosity.
10. A film comprising graphene prepared by a method comprising:
providing a metal substrate; continuously advancing the metal
substrate into and through a processing chamber comprising one or
more heating elements and one or more gas supply components;
heating the metal substrate to form a molten metal layer on a top
surface of the metal substrate; contacting the molten metal layer
with a carbon source gas to form a graphene-comprising layer
substantially covering the molten metal layer of the top surface of
the metal substrate; solidifying the molten metal layer; advancing
the metal substrate having the graphene-comprising layer out of the
processing chamber; and separating the graphene-comprising layer to
form a film comprising graphene.
11. The film of claim 10, wherein the metal substrate comprises a
metal foil or a metal film.
12. The film of claim 10, wherein the processing chamber comprises:
a preheating zone comprising the one or more heating elements, a
processing zone comprising the one or more gas supply components,
and a cooling zone, wherein the molten metal layer is formed as the
metal substrate advances through the preheating zone, the molten
metal layer is contacted with the carbon source gas in the
processing zone, and the molten metal layer is solidified in the
cooling zone.
13. The film of claim 10, wherein the metal substrate is advanced
from an unwinding roll into the processing chamber.
14. The film of claim 10, wherein the metal substrate having the
graphene-comprising layer is wound onto a winding roll after it has
been advanced out of the processing chamber.
15. The film of claim 10, wherein the one or more heating elements
comprises at least two heating elements.
16. The film of claim 15, wherein the at least two heating elements
comprises a first heating element which heats the top surface of
the metal substrate and a second heating element which heats a
bottom surface of the metal substrate.
17. The film of claim 16, wherein the first heating element heats
the top surface of the metal substrate to no more than about
50.degree. C. different than a melting point of the top surface of
the metal substrate.
18. The film of claim 17, wherein the first heating element heats
the top surface of the metal substrate to a temperature of about
1050.degree. C..+-.30.degree. C.
19. The film of claim 16, wherein the second heating element heats
the bottom surface of the metal substrate to a temperature that is
below a melting point of the bottom surface of the metal
substrate.
20. The film of claim 19, wherein the second heating element heats
the bottom surface of the metal substrate to a temperature that is
below about 1050.degree. C.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/457,763, entitled "Method for
Continuous Production of High Quality Graphene," filed on Mar. 13,
2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/310,350, entitled "Method for Continuous
Production of High Quality Graphene," filed on Mar. 18, 2016, the
contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in
their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a continuous method for
manufacturing high quality graphene films using metal
substrates.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Graphene, an allotrope of carbon forming a two-dimensional,
atomic-scale, hexagonal lattice, has become useful for applications
in flexible electronics due to its exceptional electrical,
mechanical, and chemical properties. In order to realize practical
applications of graphene, large-scale production methods such as
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on transition metal surfaces have
been increasingly explored. In particular, copper has become a
popular catalytic substrate due to its low carbon solubility at
typical growth temperatures.
[0004] However, it has been observed that a strictly
two-dimensional graphene system is often thermodynamically
unstable, and frequently exists only through perturbations in a
third direction. These fluctuations in the third direction
generally result in a crumpled topography of the graphene sheet
surface, such as "ripples" thereon. It is currently understood that
graphene ripples may be associated with (a) the problem of
thermodynamic stability of two-dimensional layers or membranes; (b)
the thermal expansion coefficient difference between a metal
substrate and graphene; and/or (c) the presence of grain boundaries
on the metal substrate. As graphene surface topography has
significant impact on its mechanical, electronic, magnetic, and
chemical properties, understanding and controlling the formation of
ripples is important for exploiting its excellent properties.
[0005] While continuous production methods for preparing a graphene
sheet (such as roll-to-roll methods, where vapor containing carbon
reacts on a horizontal substrate such as a copper foil)
dramatically reduces production price, such methods often
correspond with unwanted wrinkles or ripples on the grown graphene
surface.
[0006] There is thus a need in the art for methods of manufacturing
high quality and large surface area graphene, while reducing both
production price and unwanted surface topography.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present disclosure relates generally to preparing a film
comprising graphene, comprising: placing a metal substrate into a
processing chamber comprising one or more heating elements and one
or more gas supply components; heating the metal substrate to form
a molten metal layer on a first surface of the metal substrate,
wherein the first surface is a top surface; contacting the molten
metal layer with a carbon source gas, such as a gas comprising
hydrocarbon, to form a graphene-comprising layer substantially
covering the molten metal layer of the first surface of the metal
substrate; solidifying the molten metal layer; and optionally
separating the graphene-comprising layer to form a film comprising
graphene.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 shows an example of a processing chamber, in
accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of
graphene grains on a copper foil substrate without a molten top
layer.
[0010] FIG. 3 shows an SEM image of graphene grains on a copper
foil substrate with a molten top layer.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows an example of a processing chamber, in
accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present disclosure relates generally to continuous
methods for producing graphene films on the surface of a metal
substrate. According to some aspects, the method comprises a
roll-to-roll system. As used herein, "roll-to-roll" processing
refers production continuous methods utilizing a roll or rolls of
flexible metal, such as a metal foil. The present disclosure is
also directed to devices for carrying out these methods.
[0013] According to some aspects, the method of the present
disclosure may comprise placing a metal substrate into a processing
chamber. In some aspects, the metal substrate comprises a flat
surface, and the metal substrate may be a sheet. The metal
substrate comprises one or more metals. Examples of metals which
may be useful according to the present disclosure include copper,
nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, aluminum, and alloys and/or mixtures
thereof. According to some aspects, the metal substrate may be
placed into the processing chamber by advancing the metal substrate
(for example, a sheet of metal foil or a metal film) through the
processing chamber.
[0014] For example, the metal substrate may comprise a metal foil.
According to some aspects, the metal foil may have a thickness of
between about 1 and 100 .mu.m, preferably between about 1 and 50
.mu.m, more preferably between about 10 and 40 .mu.m, and most
preferably between about 20 and 30 .mu.m. According to some
aspects, the metal foil may have a thickness of about 25 .mu.m.
[0015] According to some aspects, the metal substrate may comprise
a metal film. The metal film may optionally be provided with a
second substrate. For example, the metal film may be deposited on
one or more surfaces of the second substrate. According to some
aspects, the second substrate may comprise a metalloid and/or an
oxide thereof, for example, Si and/or SiO.sub.2. According to some
aspects, the metal film may have a thickness of between about 100
and 1000 nm, preferably between about 100 and 800 nm, more
preferably between about 200 and 600 nm, and most preferably
between about 300 and 500 nm.
[0016] According to some aspects, the metal substrate is
continuously advanced through the processing chamber.
[0017] According to some aspects, the processing chamber may
comprise, for example, one or more rolls configured to advance the
substrate through the processing chamber. For example, the
processing chamber may comprise one or more unwinding rolls, one or
more guide rolls, and/or one or more winding rolls. According to
some aspects, the unwinding roll(s) may be a roll from which the
substrate is unwound, and/or which adjusts the tensile force of the
substrate. According to some aspects, the guide roll(s) may
transport the film through the processing chamber. For example,
according to some aspects, the chamber may comprise a first guide
roll proximal to the unwinding roll, and a second guide roll
proximal to the winding roll, wherein one or both of the guide
rolls is rotatably driven, for example, by a drive source.
According to some aspects, the winding roll may be a roll on which
the substrate is wound after graphene has been formed thereon
and/or after it has advanced through the processing chamber.
[0018] According to some aspects, the processing chamber comprises
one or more heating elements and one or more gas supply components.
In some embodiments, the processing chamber may comprise an inert
atmosphere. Example inert gases for use in the processing chamber
include argon, helium, nitrogen, mixtures thereof, and any other
inert gases or gas mixtures known in the art.
[0019] As used herein, the term "heating element" refers to any
element capable of producing heat. According to some aspects, the
processing chamber may comprise a heating element which provides
heat to only one surface or to more than one surface of the metal
substrate as it advances through the processing chamber. According
to some aspects, the processing chamber may comprise at least two
heating elements, wherein a first heating element or elements
provides heat to a first surface of the metal substrate, and a
second heating element or elements provides heat to a second
surface of the metal substrate, such as a bottom surface. For
example, a first heating element or elements may be positioned
above the metal substrate to provide heat to a top surface of the
substrate, and a second heating element or elements may be
positioned below the metal substrate to provide heat to a bottom
surface of the substrate. According to some aspects, the two or
more heating elements may comprise separate controllers such that
the each heating element may be separately controlled. For example,
each heating element may comprise a controller which controls the
heat provided by the heating element and/or a controller which
controls the position of the heating element, for example, the
position of the heating element relative to the substrate.
According to some aspects, one or more heating elements may be
controlled using the same controller. For example, the first
heating element or elements may be controlled using a first
controller while the second heating element or elements may be
controlled using a second controller.
[0020] According to some aspects, the processing chamber may
comprise multiple heating elements and/or multiple types of heating
elements. According to some aspects, the heating element(s) may
comprise an IR heater, for example, a heater comprising an IR lamp,
and/or a laser heater, for example, a heater comprising a laser.
According to some aspects, the heating element(s) may comprise a
ceramic heater, a halogen lamp, a laser or the like, a means for
heating by an induced current by application of a magnetic field,
and/or a means for heating by heat conduction. According to some
aspects, the heating element(s) may comprise a graphite heating
element. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable heating
element capable of providing controlled heat may be used according
to aspects of the present disclosure.
[0021] According to some aspects, the method of the present
disclosure may comprise heating the metal substrate as it
continually advances through the processing chamber. For example,
as shown in FIG. 1, using rotatably driven guide rolls (9 and 10),
a sheet of the substrate (1) may be advanced from an unwinding roll
(8) into and through a processing chamber (2) with one or more
heating elements (3) therein. According to some aspects, the one or
more heating elements (3) may provide a controlled heat to the top
surface of the substrate (1) as it advances through the processing
chamber (2). According to some aspects, the heating element(s) (3)
may provide a heat that is equal to or above the melting point of
the substrate (1) or the surface thereof. For example, the heating
element(s) (3) may provide heat that is greater than the melting
point of copper, and/or greater than the melting point of the
surface of a copper substrate. According to some aspects, the
substrate may be wound onto the winding roll (11) after graphene
has been formed therein.
[0022] It will be appreciated that the heat supplied by the one or
more heating elements to the top surface of the substrate will
depend on the melting point of the specific substrate used, and/or
the surface melting point of the substrate used. As used herein,
the term "melting point" refers to the temperature at which a solid
becomes a liquid at a fixed pressure. According to some aspects,
the surface of the substrate may melt at a temperature which is
lower than the melting point of its bulk, allowing surface melting
at temperatures which are lower than the melting point of the
specific metal and/or alloys and/or mixtures thereof comprised by
substrate. For example, according to some aspects, surface melting
may occur such that a molten surface layer may grow to a thickness
of about 10 .ANG. at just below the melting point of the of the
specific metal and/or alloys and/or mixtures thereof comprised by
substrate. According to some aspects, the melting point of the
substrate surface(s) may at least partly depend on the crystal
orientation of the substrate.
[0023] According to some aspects, the heat supplied to the top
surface of the substrate by the heating element(s) may be varied by
varying the amount heat output by the heating element(s), and/or
the distance between the heating element(s) and the top surface of
the substrate. According to some aspects, the heat supplied by the
one or more heating elements to the top surface of the substrate
may heat the substrate surface to about the same temperature as the
melting point of the substrate and/or substrate surface, or within
a certain range of the melting point of the substrate and/or
substrate surface. For example, the heat supplied by the heating
element(s) to the top surface of the substrate may heat the
substrate to no more than about 50.degree. C. different than the
melting point of the substrate and/or substrate surface, preferably
no more about 40.degree. C., even more preferably no more than
about 30.degree. C., even more preferably no more than about
20.degree. C., even more preferably no more than about 10.degree.
C., and most preferably no more than about 5.degree. C. different
than the melting point of the substrate and/or substrate
surface.
[0024] According to some aspects, the melting point of the
substrate and/or substrate surface may depend on one or more
factors. For example, the melting point of the substrate and/or
substrate surface may at least partly depend on particular process
conditions (for example, the composition, pressure, and/or density
of the atmosphere in the processing chamber) and/or the specific
metal and/or alloys and/or mixtures thereof comprised by substrate.
According to some aspects of the disclosure, the melting point of
the substrate and/or substrate surface may be different than the
conventional melting point of the specific metal and/or alloys
and/or mixtures thereof comprised by substrate.
[0025] According to some aspects, the atmosphere of the processing
chamber may have a predetermined pressure. For example, according
to some aspects, the pressure may be between about 10.sup.-8 atm
and 100 atm, optionally between about 10.sup.-7 atm and 50 atm, and
optionally between about 10.sup.-7 atm and 20 atm. According to
some aspects, the pressure may be about 0.0084 atm.
[0026] According to some aspects, the atmosphere of the processing
chamber may comprise a certain gas composition. For example,
according to some aspects, the atmosphere may comprise an inert
gas. As used herein, the term "inert" refers to a substance that is
not chemically reactive. For example, the atmosphere may comprise
an inert gas that reacts with neither the substrate nor the carbon
source gas. According to some aspects, the atmosphere may
additionally or alternatively comprise gasses that are not inert.
Examples of gasses that may be comprised by the atmosphere of the
processing chamber include, but are not limited to, argon, helium,
nitrogen, hydrogen, and mixtures thereof.
[0027] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the
heating element(s) may provide a controlled heat to the top surface
of the substrate such that the top surface of the substrate melts,
thereby at least partially smoothing any grain boundaries,
wrinkles, and/or other imperfections on the top surface of the
substrate. According to some aspects, the heating element(s) may
output heat at a temperature of and/or heat the top surface of the
substrate to a temperature of about 970.degree. C..+-.30.degree. C.
and/or 1050.degree. C..+-.30.degree. C. and/or 1100.degree.
C..+-.30.degree. C. According to some aspects, the heating
element(s) may output heat at a temperature of and/or heat the top
surface of the substrate to a temperature of about 527.degree. C.,
627.degree. C., 727.degree. C., 997.degree. C., 1017.degree. C.,
1027.degree. C., or 1037.degree. C.
[0028] According to some aspects, as the metal substrate advances
through the processing chamber, a molten metal layer may form on a
first surface of the metal substrate, wherein the first surface is
the top surface. For example, a top layer of the metal substrate
may melt to form a molten metal layer as the surface of the
substrate is subjected to heat provided by the heating element(s).
According to some aspects, the amount of melting is controlled such
that the resultant molten metal layer has a predetermined depth.
The depth of the molten metal layer may be controlled, for example,
by adjusting the heat provided by the heating element(s), the
distance between the heating element(s) and the substrate, and/or
the rate at which the substrate advances through the processing
chamber.
[0029] According to some aspects, at least one additional heating
element may be provided in order to control the temperature of a
second surface of the metal substrate, for example, the bottom
surface of the metal substrate or the opposite surface of the metal
substrate. For example, the processing chamber may comprise one or
more second heating elements underneath the substrate, wherein the
second heating element(s) may supply heat such that the temperature
of the bottom surface of the substrate is kept below the melting
point of the substrate and/or substrate surface. That is, the
second heating element(s) may supply less heat to the substrate
than the first heating element(s). For example, the amount of heat
output by the first heating element(s) may be greater than the
amount heat output by the second heating element(s) and/or the
distance between the first heating element(s) and the top surface
of the substrate may be less than the distance between the second
heating element(s) and the bottom surface of the substrate. In
another example, the amount of heat output by the first heating
element(s) may be about the same as the amount heat output by the
second heating element(s), while the distance between the first
heating element(s) and the top surface of the substrate may be less
than the distance between the second heating element(s) and the
bottom surface of the substrate. In this way, the second heating
element(s) may still supply less heat to the substrate than the
first heating element(s).
[0030] As discussed herein, according to some aspects, the melting
point of the substrate and/or substrate surface may depend on one
or more factors. According to some aspects, the second heating
element(s) may control the second substrate surface temperature to
be below a temperature of about 1050.degree. C. According to some
aspects, the heating element(s) may output heat at a temperature of
and/or heat the second surface of the substrate to a temperature of
about 970.degree. C..+-.30.degree. C. and/or 1050.degree.
C..+-.30.degree. C. and/or 1100.degree. C..+-.30.degree. C.
According to some aspects, the heating element(s) may output heat
at a temperature of and/or heat the second surface of the substrate
to a temperature of about 527.degree. C., 627.degree. C.,
727.degree. C., 997.degree. C., 1017.degree. C., 1027.degree. C.,
or 1037.degree. C. According to some aspects, the second surface of
the substrate does not melt, thus a molten metal layer only forms
on one surface of the substrate as it advances through the
processing chamber.
[0031] According to some aspects, the heat supplied to the bottom
surface of the substrate by the second heating element(s) may be
varied by varying the amount heat output by the second heating
element(s), and/or the distance between the second heating
element(s) and the bottom surface of the substrate. According to
some aspects, the heat supplied to the bottom surface of the
substrate by the second heating element(s) may at least partially
depend on the presence of one or more spacers or components between
the second heating element(s) and the bottom surface of the
substrate.
[0032] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing chamber may
comprise a solid spacer (17) underneath at least a portion of the
substrate (16) such that at least the portion of the substrate (16)
is separated from the second heating element(s) (20) by the spacer.
According to some aspects, the spacer may comprise a solid platform
or scaffold. According to some aspects, the spacer may transmit
some or all of the heat supplied by the heating element(s).
According to some aspects, the processing chamber may comprise at
least one temperature sensor, for example, a thermocouple. For
example, the processing chamber may comprise a first thermocouple
(15) and a second thermocouple (14) in order to measure the
temperature of the surface of the substrate (16) facing the first
heating element(s) (18) and the second heating element(s) (20),
respectively.
[0033] According to some aspects, the method comprises contacting
the molten metal layer or layers with a carbon source gas.
According to some aspects, the carbon source gas is a gas
comprising hydrocarbon. The carbon source gas may be provided using
one or more gas supply components which are contained in the
processing chamber. The one or more gas supply components refers to
any mechanism that can provide a gas (e.g., a carbon source gas,
such as a gas which comprises one or more hydrocarbons) and/or is
capable of depositing the gas onto a molten metal layer of the
metal substrate.
[0034] According to some aspects, depositing of the carbon source
gas onto the surface of the substrate may be accomplished using
chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Example carbon source gases for
use in the processing chamber include methane, ethylene, acetylene,
ethanol, benzene, methanol, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
carbon-based polymer, a nano-carbon material, mixtures thereof,
and/or any other gases or gas mixtures known in the art. According
to some aspects, the contacting of the molten metal layer with a
carbon source gas allows for the formation of a graphene-comprising
layer. According to some aspects, the graphene-comprising layer
substantially covers or completely covers the portion of the
surface of the molten metal layer that is contacted with the carbon
source gas. "Substantially cover" refers to more than 50%,
preferably more than 70%, more preferably more than 80%, even more
preferably more than 90%, and even more preferably more than 95% of
the surface area of the surface is covered. In some aspects, the
surface is completely (about 100%) covered. For example, as shown
in FIG. 1, the processing chamber may one or more comprise a gas
supply components (4) which emits a hydrocarbon gas capable of
forming graphene on the surface of the substrate via CVD. As shown
in FIG. 1, according to some aspects, the one or more gas supply
components (4) may provide a hydrocarbon gas to a first surface of
the substrate, that is, the surface of the substrate with the
molten metal layer formed thereon.
[0035] In addition to the carbon source gas, the one or more gas
supply components may provide one or more secondary gasses.
Examples of secondary gasses for use in the processing chamber
include argon, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen, and mixtures thereof.
For example, the one or more gas supply components may provide the
carbon source gas to the processing chamber along with the one or
more secondary gasses as a transport gas. Alternatively or
additionally, the one or more secondary gasses may be provided
before and/or after the carbon source gas has been provided to the
processing chamber. According to some aspects, the one or more
secondary gasses may be provided to the processing chamber via a
different gas supply component than the gas supply component(s)
used to provide the carbon source gas. For example, the processing
chamber may comprise one or more secondary gas supply components
which provide the one or more secondary gasses to the processing
chamber.
[0036] According to some aspects, the gas supply component(s)
and/or the secondary gas supply component(s) may provide their
respective gasses at a certain flow rate, which may be the same or
different for each gas. For example, according to some aspects,
nitrogen gas may be provided at a flow rate of about 200 sccm,
argon gas may be provided at a flow rate of 600 about sccm,
hydrogen gas may be provided at a flow rate of about 40 sccm, and
methane may be provided at a flow rate of about 10 sccm. According
to some aspects, the flow rates of the carbon source gas and/or the
one or more secondary gasses into the processing chamber may be
selected in order to provide a certain flow rate ratio. For
example, the flow rate ratio of nitrogen gas to argon gas to
hydrogen gas to methane may be about 20:60:40:1
[0037] The gas supply component(s) and/or the secondary gas supply
component(s) may be arranged such that they emits their respective
gasses contemporaneously with the one or more heating elements
providing heat to the substrate. Alternatively or additionally, one
or more heating elements may provide heat to the substrate prior to
the introduction of the gasses from the gas supply component(s)
and/or the secondary gas supply component(s). For example, the
processing chamber may comprise a preheating zone wherein one or
more heating elements provides heat to the metal substrate in order
to form a molten metal layer with a desired thickness, as described
herein. The substrate may then continue to a processing zone of the
processing chamber comprising the gas supply component(s) and/or
the secondary gas supply component(s) and/or one or more additional
heating elements as described herein. Alternatively or
additionally, the preheating zone may comprise one or more
secondary gas supply components in order to provide one or more
secondary gasses. For example, according to some aspects, the
preheating zone may comprise one or more secondary gas supply
components that provide hydrogen gas to the processing chamber,
while the processing zone may comprise one or more gas supply
components that provide a carbon source gas along with a transport
gas comprising argon, helium, and/or nitrogen.
[0038] According to some aspects, the method of the present
disclosure allows direct synthesis of a uniform layer of graphene
directly on the molten metal layer of the substrate. For example,
as shown in FIG. 1, the solid substrate (5) may comprise a molten
metal layer (6) on one surface, with a uniform layer of graphene
(7) formed thereon. In some preferred embodiments, this direct
synthesis reduces and/or eliminates the grain boundaries that are
observed when using, for example, solid polycrystalline copper.
According to some aspects, the resultant graphene layer thus
comprises a uniform nucleation distribution and low graphene
nucleation density.
[0039] According to some aspects, the substrate may advance through
the processing chamber at a predetermined rate. For example, the
substrate may advance through the processing chamber at a rate
which provides the desired amount of graphene growth. For example,
the rate may be selected in order to provide a certain growth time
(i.e., a certain amount of time the substrate is in contact with
the carbon source gas). According to some aspects, the rate may be
selected in order to provide about 30 minutes of growth time,
optionally about 20 minutes of growth time, optionally about 10
minutes of growth time, and optionally about 5 minutes of growth
time. It should be understand that the growth time required to
provide a desired amount of graphene growth may at least partly
depend on particular process conditions (for example, the
composition, pressure, and/or density of the atmosphere in the
processing chamber) and/or the specific metal and/or alloys and/or
mixtures thereof comprised by substrate.
[0040] According to some aspects, the heat provided by the one or
more heating element(s) and/or the rate at which the substrate
advances through the processing chamber may be selected in order to
achieve a predetermined molten metal layer thickness. The molten
metal layer may have a predetermined thickness that corresponds,
for example, to a thickness of the substrate. For example,
according to some aspects, if the substrate is about 25 .mu.m thick
(e.g., a copper or copper alloy foil having a thickness of about 25
.mu.m), the predetermined molten metal layer thickness may be
between about 100 and 1000 nm, preferably between about 200 and 800
nm, more preferably between about 300 and 700 nm, and most
preferably between about 450 and 550 nm. According to some aspects,
the predetermined molten metal layer thickness may be achieved
prior to the substrate advancing out of the preheating zone of the
processing chamber and/or may be maintained in the processing zone
of the processing chamber.
[0041] According to some aspects, the predetermined molten metal
layer thickness may correspond to the critical Marangoni number,
which is related to Benard-Marangoni convection. In particular, a
molten metal may show solutal or thermal instabilities driven by
variations in surface tension, which can be described for instance
by Benard-Marangoni convection. According to some aspects, the
thickness of the molten metal layer may be selected such that the
solutal Marangoni number for the surface-melted metal-carbon system
is lower than the critical number M.sub.a.sup.s<Mc=80, which
prevents the convection flow in the melted layer and thereby
prevents formation of cellular ripples on the surface of the melted
layer. As it is used herein, the "solutal Marangoni number" refers
to:
M a s = .gamma. c d .DELTA. c .mu. D L ##EQU00001##
[0042] where .gamma..sub.c is solutal surface tension coefficient,
.DELTA.c is the concentration gradient across the melt
(.DELTA.c=c.sub.LG-c.sub.SL, c.sub.SL being the bulk concentration
at the solid-liquid interface and c.sub.LG being the concentration
at the liquid-gas interface), d is the thickness of the molten
metal layer, D.sub.L is the molecular diffusivity in the liquid,
and .mu. is the dynamic viscosity.
[0043] According to this equation, .gamma..sub.c, i.e., the solutal
surface tension coefficient, can be described as:
.gamma. C = d .sigma. d 0 ##EQU00002##
[0044] which is defined through the surface tension as:
.sigma.=.sigma..sub.0+.gamma..sub.C({tilde over (c)}-c.sub.0),
[0045] where {tilde over (c)} is the excess solute concentration on
liquid-gas interface, and .sigma..sub.0 and c.sub.0 are reference
positive values. In the reference steady state, the fluid is at
rest with constant excess solute concentration c.sub.0 and the
unperturbed bulk concentration c is given by:
c=c.sub.SL-.beta..sub.Z,
[0046] where c.sub.SL is bulk concentration at the solid-liquid
interface and .beta. is the bulk concentration gradient and is
positive when the solute flux is from solid to liquid and negative
if the solute is absorbing from the gas phase. In the case of
positive values, the solutal surface tension coefficient can be
described by:
.gamma. = .sigma. - .sigma. 0 c ~ - c 0 ##EQU00003##
[0047] According to some aspects, the molten metal layer thickness
may be selected such that variations in surface tension between the
molten metal layer and the carbon layer, described for instance by
Benard-Marangoni convection, may be minimized. In this way, the
formation of domains and/or cells based on solutal or thermal
instabilities, typically observed when using a liquid layer of
metal with an adsorbate on the surface thereof, may be reduced.
[0048] According to some aspects, after the formation of the
graphene-comprising layer, the molten metal layer may be
solidified. According to some aspects, the method of the present
disclosure comprises advancing the sheet of metal substrate with
the graphene layer formed thereon out of the processing chamber
such that the molten metal layer solidifies outside of the
processing chamber. For example, when the sheet of metal substrate
is no longer subjected to heat from the heating element(s) in the
processing chamber, the substrate may cool such that the melted
layer thereon solidifies. According to some aspects, the molten
metal layer may solidify after the substrate is advanced out of the
processing chamber. According to some aspects, the molten metal
layer may be cooled inside the processing chamber, for example, in
a cooling zone of the processing chamber, and may thus solidify
before the substrate exits the processing chamber.
[0049] According to some aspects, the method of the present
disclosure may also comprise separating the graphene-comprising
layer from the remainder of the metal substrate. According to some
aspects, the graphene-comprising layer is separated from the molten
metal layer and remainder of the metal substrate. The
graphene-comprising layer may be separated or removed using any
means known in the art. For example, the underlying metal substrate
(including the solidified molten layer) may be removed using
chemical etching, electrochemical etching, and/or mechanical
removal in order to produce a high quality, uniform, large surface
area layer comprising graphene.
[0050] The present disclosure also relates generally to devices for
carrying out the above methods. For example, devices of the present
disclosure may comprise a processing chamber comprising an input,
at least one heating element, at least one gas supply component,
and an output, wherein the device is configured to allow a sheet or
film of a metal substrate to be advanced therethrough.
[0051] While the aspects described herein have been described in
conjunction with the example aspects outlined above, various
alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or
substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may be
presently unforeseen, may become apparent to those having at least
ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the example aspects, as set
forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various
changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of
the disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to embrace
all known or later-developed alternatives, modifications,
variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents.
[0052] Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the
aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope
consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an
element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one"
unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more." All
structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the
various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known
or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are
expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be
encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is
intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such
disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is
to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is
expressly recited using the phrase "means for."
[0053] Further, the word "example" is used herein to mean "serving
as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described
herein as "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred
or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated
otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more. Combinations such
as "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and
"A, B, C, or any combination thereof" include any combination of A,
B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or
multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of
A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any
combination thereof" may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and
C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may
contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. Nothing
disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public
regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the
claims.
[0054] The following examples are put forth so as to provide those
of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and
description of how to make and use the present invention, and are
not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as
their invention nor are they intended to represent that the
experiments below are all or the only experiments performed.
Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers
used (e.g. amounts, dimensions, etc.) but some experimental errors
and deviations should be accounted for.
[0055] In particular, the following comparative examples (Example 1
and 2) were conducted in order to compare processes of growing
graphene on a 15 .mu.m thick copper foil substrate using cold wall
CVD (i.e., a CVD method wherein the substrate is heated but the
walls of the CVD chamber are cooled) wherein the top and bottom
surfaces of the substrate were heated to a certain temperature. The
processes were performed using an Aixtron Black Magic CVD system,
which comprises two graphite heaters, one above and one below the
substrate, which can be controlled separately. Both processes were
performed using a pressure of 500 mbar (375 torr) and a gas flow of
Ar at 3000 sccm, H.sub.2 at 500 sccm, and N.sub.2 at 500 sccm (for
system cooling). The copper foil substrate was separated from the
bottom heater using a quartz spacer. In both examples, the
substrate was heated for 10 minutes, and then subjected to a flow
of methane gas at a flow rate of 10 sccm as a hydrocarbon
source.
Example 1
[0056] A copper foil substrate was placed into the Aixtron Black
Magic CVD system. The top heater was kept at a constant temperature
of 1100.degree. C., and the bottom heater was kept at a constant
temperature of 1150.degree. C. The top and bottom surface
temperatures of the substrate were modified by changing the
distance between the substrate surfaces and the top and bottom
heaters, respectively. The top surface of the substrate was heated
to a temperature of 980.degree. C. (i.e., the temperature used in
conventional methods wherein the copper surface is not melted), and
the bottom surface was kept at a temperature of less than
1150.degree. C. The bottom surface of the substrate was separated
from the bottom heater by the quartz spacer so that the bottom
layer of the substrate also did not melt.
[0057] Graphene was grown on the top surface of the substrate, and
the resultant layer of graphene was visualized using an SEM as
shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows that the graphene layer comprised
small grains (12), indicating the presence of grain boundaries on
the substrate surface (i.e., a rough substrate surface).
Example 2
[0058] A copper foil substrate was placed into the Aixtron Black
Magic CVD system. The top heater was kept at a constant temperature
of 1100.degree. C., and the bottom heater was kept at a constant
temperature of 1150.degree. C. The top and bottom surface
temperatures of the substrate were modified by changing the
distance between the substrate surfaces and the top and bottom
heaters, respectively. The top surface of the substrate was heated
to a temperature of 1050.degree. C., and the bottom surface was
kept at a temperature of less than 1150.degree. C. The bottom
surface of the substrate was separated from the bottom heater by
the quartz spacer so that the bottom layer of the substrate also
did not melt.
[0059] Graphene was grown on the top surface of the substrate, and
the resultant layer of graphene was visualized using an SEM as
shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows that the graphene layer comprised
much larger grains (13) than shown in Example 1, indicating the
surface of the copper substrate had likely been melted and thus,
was much smoother.
* * * * *