High-quality and efficient transfer of large-area graphene films onto different substrates

We used a two-layer structure consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and silicone to transfer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition onto various rigid and flexible substrates through dispersive adhesion. It only takes a few seconds to transfer graphene from PET/silicone to the target substrates at ambient conditions. And the recycling of the PET/silicone decreases the production cost greatly. The transferred graphene films were characterized by optical and atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electrical analyses, and optical transmittance measurements, and the results show that the graphenes transferred by PET/silicone have a cleaner and more continuous surface, lower doping level, and higher optical transmittance and conductivity than those transferred by thermal release tape. Considering its high efficiency, low cost, large area and high quality, the PET/silicone transfer method would be particularly useful for graphene's electronic applications such as field-effect transistors and transparent conducting electrodes. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.