GIMMIK - Production of graphene on an industrial scale

 

Graphene consists of only one layer of carbon atoms and has been considered a "wonder material" since its discovery. Its high electrical conductivity and simultaneous flexibility is of particular interest in microelectronics. Graphene also exhibits high mechanical strength and is transparent. The unique properties of the thinnest material in the world could enable a wide range of applications in microelectronics. For example, sensors with significantly increased sensitivity compared to the state of the art could be realized, or transistors for analog circuits with high clock frequencies. However, so far experimental examples are only laboratory demonstrations, not production-ready prototypes. For implementation on an industrial scale, a high and reliably reproducible quality of the electrically functional materials is a prerequisite.

In principle, chemical vapor deposition provides a scalable process for the production of large-area graphene layers. In the GIMMIK project, the production of graphene layers is to be evaluated for the first time under industrial conditions. Weak points in the process chain will be identified and strategies to eliminate sources of error will be developed. Furthermore, the impact of integration into electrical components on the excellent intrinsic properties of graphene will be investigated. An evaluation will thus be made with respect to the graphene quality itself, as well as with respect to the device properties. In parallel, methods for large-scale, non-contact characterization of graphene will be developed, which currently do not exist. A major project goal is therefore the creation of methodologies to ensure uniformly high graphene quality as a basis for manufacturing suitability for deposition and integration processes.

The GIMMIK research project aims to increase the technology readiness level of graphene technology for electronic components and bring it to a production-relevant level. If successful, this will lead to a breakthrough in the industrial application of graphene.

GIMMIK is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Project partners:

AIXTRON SE, Herzogenrath, Germany

Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany

IHP GmbH - Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Protemics GmbH, Aachen, Germany

LayTec AG, Berlin, Germany