Skip to main content
Article
Fabrication of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional High-Resolution Binder-Free Graphene Circuits Using a Microfluidic Approach for Sensor Applications
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
  • Metin Uz, Iowa State University
  • Matthew T. Lentner, Iowa State University
  • Kyle Jackson, Iowa State University
  • Maxsam S. Donta, Iowa State University
  • Juhyung Jung, Iowa State University
  • John Hondred, Iowa State University
  • Eric Mach, Iowa State University
  • Jonathan C. Claussen, Iowa State University
  • Surya K. Mallapragada, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Submitted Manuscript
Publication Date
3-18-2020
DOI
10.1021/acsami.9b23460
Abstract

In this study, a simple microfluidic method, which can be universally applied to different rigid or flexible substrates, was developed to fabricate high-resolution, conductive, 2D and 3D microstructured graphene-based electronic circuits. The method involves controlled and selective filling of microchannels on substrate surfaces with a conductive binder-free graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) solution. The ethanol-thermal reaction of GNP solution at low temperatures (~75 °C) prior to microchannel filling (pre-heating) further reduces GNP, enhances conductivity, reduces sheet resistance (~0.05 kΩ sq-1), enables room temperature fabrication and eliminates harsh post-processing, which makes this fabrication technique compatible with degradable substrates. This method can also be used in combination with 3D printing to fabricate 3D circuits. The feature sizes of the graphene patterns can range from a few micrometers (down to ~15 µm in width and ~5 µm in depth) to a few millimeters and use very small amounts of GNP solution (~2.5 mg of graphene to obtain ~0.1 kΩ sq-1 of sheet resistance for 1 cm2). This microfluidic approach can also be implemented using other conductive liquids, such as conductive graphene-silver solutions. This technology has the potential to pave the way for low-cost, disposable and biodegradable circuits for a range of electronic applications including near field communication antennas, pressure or strain sensors.

Comments

This document is the unedited Author’s version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b23460. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
American Chemical Society
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Metin Uz, Matthew T. Lentner, Kyle Jackson, Maxsam S. Donta, et al.. "Fabrication of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional High-Resolution Binder-Free Graphene Circuits Using a Microfluidic Approach for Sensor Applications" ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Vol. 12 Iss. 11 (2020) p. 13529 - 13539
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mallapragada_surya_k/84/