New EU project to upscale industrial-grade graphene fabrication
A new European project aims to raise the bar for large-scale industrial-grade graphene to new levels. Having started in October, project L2D2 is designed to upscale growth and transfer of graphene and other 2D materials in an eco-friendly green process.
Project L2D2 builds upon knowledge gained during project LEAF-2D, where laser is used to transfer 2D materials from one substrate to another. The laser transfer process allows chemical-free processing, as well as precise alignment of materials in heterostructures. In particular, L2D2 goes after two technological breakthroughs: upscaling graphene and other 2D materials to the 8-inch scale at industrial-grade quality, and wafer-scale integration of such materials with the aid of laser-assisted transfer.
The exploitable outcomes of L2D2 will lay the foundation for a deep-tech business model which will secure the foreground of the project and transform it to innovations with high exploitation potential. The business model will be realized through the creation of a spin-out with a team of co-founders encompassing highly skilled entrepreneurs with equal expertise in technology, innovation and business. The spin-out will follow a viable and fast commercialization pathway, relying on strategic corporate agreements with world-leading companies in graphene and Si photonics, as well as on IP exploitation.
The role of Graphenea in the project is to develop tailor-made graphene templates to be used as donor substrates for laser-induced transfer. The company will adapt their existing chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technology for growing graphene on copper in order to grow graphene on other substrates that are suitable for laser transfer.
Project L2D2 is funded under the European Innovation Council (EIC), coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens from Greece, and is worth €2.5 million to be shared by five partners over three years. Other partners are Mellanox Technologies Ltd (Israel), Bar Ilan University (Israel), and Marios Lymarakis Kai Sia (Greece).
