Graphene produced by CVD launched commercially

Graphene Laboratories Inc. (Reading, Mass.; www.graphenelab.com) and CVD Equipment Corp. (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.; www.cvdequipment.com) recently announced the commercial launch of single-layer graphene films, marketed as CVDGraphene, grown by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Using slightly modified CVD equipment that has been used to produce carbon nanotubes, the CVDGraphene films are made by decomposing diluted methane on transition-metal surfaces at elevated temperatures. Thickness of the sheets can be verified using Raman scattering spectroscopy. The graphene films are deposited on either copper foils or on copper-coated silicon wafers, and are offered in 2-in. by 4-in. squares or custom-designed for specific applications. A single CVD furnace can generate a graphene sheet in about 45 min, says Graphene Laboratories CEO Dr. Elena Polyakova, and the process is amenable to scaleup. Graphene, a two-dimensional, honeycomb-shaped lattice of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, exhibits high stability and structural and electronic properties that make it a candidate for applications such as transistors, solar cells, composite materials, flexible electronics and others. Since the product launch in late August, about half of the customers hail…