[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/12799\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMoving graphene from lab to fab \u2013 how 2D materials could transform everyday electronics \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Inge Asselberghs has been closely involved in advanced graphene research over the past decade. Today, she\u2019s at the forefront of EU-funded efforts to bring this \u201cmiracle material\u201d out of the lab and into society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsselberghs is part of an international team of researchers that set up a prototype manufacturing facility for graphene and other 2D materials at Imec, a leading global nanoelectronics research institute based in Leuven, Belgium.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team pools expertise from 11 universities, research institutes and companies in six European countries as part of the EU-funded 2D experimental pilot line (2D-EPL). Their aim is to advance the production and integration of graphene in prototypes for use in high-end electronics, photonics and sensors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWonder material\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene has the potential to fundamentally transform many areas of technology. Consisting of just a single layer of carbon atoms, it is extremely thin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraphene is exceptionally strong, light and flexible, and able to conduct both heat and electricity. This makes it highly adaptable for a wide range of products, from next-generation batteries to advanced aeronautic and space applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe hype started as soon as graphene was discovered.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Inge Asselberghs, 2D-EPL\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe hype started as soon as graphene was discovered. It was much stronger than initially anticipated,\u201d said Asselberghs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecognising the economic potential of graphene and other 2D materials, the EU launched the 10-year Graphene Flagship initiative in 2013, bringing together 178 academic and industrial partners with a budget of \u20ac1 billion to boost research in this area. 2D-EPL is part of this wide-ranging initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EExperimental prototypes\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe aim of the experimental pilot line, set up in multiple locations, was to accelerate the use of graphene and other layered materials in the manufacture of new prototypes for electronics, photonics, sensors and optoelectronics. This will be a crucial step before 2D materials can be integrated into full-scale chip manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur first goal was to figure out how to make graphene devices on a wafer scale by modifying existing processes so that they can be handled in automated fabrication facilities,\u201d said Asselberghs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWafers are thin round slices of material for use in electronics and other industries. Reaching the stage where graphene can be routinely included in sophisticated devices would be a major milestone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFlawless manufacturing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne drawback is that the thinness of graphene and other 2D materials can make them tricky to manufacture flawlessly. It takes only a speck of dust, or even a few unwanted molecules, to cause defects in graphene.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the manufacturing process, graphene must be protected by a thin polymer layer and then transferred to a silicon base. These thin layers need to be handled extremely carefully. Figuring out how to do this in an automated process was a challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYour room and your tools need to be super-controlled and clean to avoid any particles on your device,\u201d Asselberghs said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn assembly line was set up in Imec\u2019s special fabrication facility to process wafers with graphene that are 200 or 300 mm across, a standard size used in silicon fabrication facilities and therefore familiar to industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther research partners added tools, machines and knowledge to help \u201ccook up\u201d the perfect graphene recipe, as large-scale manufacture remains delicate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EExciting potential\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEurope has been a global leader in exploring the potential of graphene and other 2D materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe are in a pretty strong position in Europe with 2D materials because we\u2019ve had consistent long-standing funding for this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EHarm Knoops, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are in a pretty strong position in Europe with 2D materials because we\u2019ve had consistent long-standing funding for this research,\u201d said Harm Knoops, a Dutch researcher with Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology from Bristol, UK.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis company specialises in the use of plasma technology for the creation and manipulation of matter with atomic-scale accuracy and contributed to the manufacturing process in 2D-EPL.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe excitement amongst researchers and industries around 2D materials is not focused only on graphene. The researchers are also interested in other super thin materials that can \u2013 like silicon \u2013 act as semiconductors and be used in advanced manufacturing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe potential of these materials has attracted interest from many areas of industry. Potential customers have already been in touch with the research team with specific design requests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOn the cusp\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA big advantage of graphene is that it consists of carbon, one of the most common elements on Earth. The hope is that the integation of graphene will support the cheap and large-scale manufacture of advanced electronics and sensors, and allow the development of devices that haven\u2019t even been invented yet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough it is not yet ready for industrial roll-out as part of advanced electronics, graphene and other 2D materials are certain to reach the market eventually. They could lead to better devices with super-fast transistors or sharper sensors, said Knoops, whose company was part of the Graphene Flagship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt could mean data centres use less power, or your internet is faster, or you can have a special sensor or medical device connected to your phone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 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