2-dimensional (2D) materials are characterized as being one or two atoms thick. Graphene (image above) is by far the best known 2D material. However, there are many other 2D materials with attractive properties (e.g. hexagonal boron nitrides (hBN), transition metal dichalcogenides, etc.). Due to their superior physical properties, graphene and related 2D materials have the potential to revolutionize many industries, enable development of new devices, and provide new functionalities to existing technologies. In short, these materials have the potential to be disruptive and pervasive. Despite their overwhelming promise, however, industrial scale manufacture of these materials is not yet a reality, due in part to an inability to control layer number and to print over large surface areas.
To address this problem, scientists at UMass Amherst have engineered a high-precision printing method that is compatible with current industrial manufacturing processes. This simple method allows single layer 2D material to be patterned, transferred and printed onto a substrate, enabling the fabrication of novel 2D heterostructure devices. Thus, this method will facilitate the assembly of novel devices and enable large-scale manufacture of devices with designed properties.
