NILgraphene

Graphene – an atomic layer of graphite (C) – is characterized by excellent physical, chemical and thermal properties. It is more than 100 times more tensile strength than steel and is extremely heat and electricity conducting. Graphene can be used in the electronics industry, for example, to replace expensive indium, which is mostly imported from China.

NILgraphene is part of the research cluster NILaustria. The project aims to develop a process based on nanoimprint lithography that can be used to produce structured graphene in the nanometer range. In concrete terms, the graphene produced in this way should form the basis for high-frequency transistors and photodetectors.

Graphene could be proven stable for the first time in 2004 (Nobel Prize 2010). PROFACTOR has been researching methods for producing and structuring the material since 2008. In the project NILgraphene different processes are tested and compared to achieve micro- and nanostructured graphene and to contact them with metals to realize graph-based photodetectors and transistors.

PROFACTOR was able to demonstrate the micro- and nanostructuring of graphene using nanoimprint lithography for the first time together with the Johannes Kepler University Linz and the Vienna University of Technology, as well as with the support of international partners. In addition, initial trials were successfully started to produce gold contacts on graphene using a novel method and to measure the electrical properties of graphene.

Funding:
A project within the NILaustria cluster of the Austrian Nanoinitiative, which is carried out by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) on behalf of BMVIT.