High-Yield Etching-Free Transfer of Graphene: A Fracture Mechanics Approach

Transfer is the critical issue of producing high-quality and scalable graphene electronic devices. However, conventional transfer processes require the removal of an underlying metal layer by wet etching process, which induces significant economic and environmental problems. We propose the etching-free mechanical releasing of graphene using polymer adhesives. A fracture mechanics approach was introduced to understand the releasing mechanism and ensure highyield process. It is shown that the thickness of adhesive and target substrate affect the transferability of graphene. Based on experimental and fracture mechanics simulation results, we further observed that compliant adhesives can reduce the adhesive stress during the transfer, which also enhances the success probability of graphene transfer.