Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany says that it is working with five partners in the HEA2D project to investigate the production, qualities and applications of 2D nanomaterials.
When integrated into mass-production processes, 2D materials have the potential to create integrated and systematic product and production solutions that are sustainable in social, economic and ecological terms, says Aixtron. Using 2D materials can help to address topics such as climate change, an environmentally friendly and affordable energy supply or mobility, addressing the increasing scarcity of resources, adds the firm. These materials also enable innovative solutions to be explored. Even though the potential harbored by this new class of materials has been demonstrated for increasing numbers of applications in a laboratory environment, attempts at high-volume product manufacturing functionalized with 2D materials have so far failed due to the fragmented production chain, notes Aixtron. In view of this, material-based innovations with 2D materials have not yet led to any major product innovations in practice.
HEA2D is now researching an end-to-end processing chain consisting of various deposition processes for 2D materials, processes for transfer onto plastic foils, and mass integration into plastics components. Aixtron's partners for implementing systems technology and integrating materials into plastic molded parts are the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH, and Kunststoff-Institut für die mittelst ndische Wirtschaft NRW GmbH (K.I.M.W.) Lüdenscheid. The work is being supported in terms of nano-analytics and the development of prototype components by the Electronic Materials and Nanostructures workgroup in the Engineering Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (Uni-DuE) and by the Graphene-based Nanotechnology workgroup in the Science and Technology Faculty of the University of Siegen.
Drawing on co-operations already in place at the project partners, the project results will be communicated to interested companies worldwide. The aim is to integrate suggestions from end users into the production chain at an early stage of development. The project will hence also use the platform operated by the Graphene and 2D Materials specialist group and the North Rhine Westphalia plastics cluster Kunststoffland NRW.
One focus of Aixtron's subproject involves researching (MO)-CVD (metal-organic) chemical vapor deposition processes and systems technology for the deposition of optically active 2D semiconductor materials such as molybdenum tungsten (Mo, W), selenium sulfur (Se, S), and graphene. Furthermore, together with its project partners, Aixtron will devise a roll-to-roll concept for use in the synthesis and transfer of graphene.
To ensure the efficient realization of a demonstration tool that is a core aspect of the HEA2D innovations, preliminary investigations will be performed, particularly to identify suitable source chemicals, on an existing system at Aixtron's applications laboratory. Based on the findings, the existing system technology will be enhanced. Together with project partners, demonstrators based on 2D semiconductor materials will be manufactured.
HEA2D is being supported by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) 2014-2020.