Automation-Compatible Graphene Transfer Enabled by a Reinforced-Concrete Inspired Mesh-Vaseline Support Film.

Abstract

The growth of graphene on Cu via chemical vapor deposition has been well established for producing large-area high-quality graphene films, with subsequent transfer to target substrates being an essential step for most applications. While various transfer techniques have been explored, true industrial adoption remains limited. This is primarily because the strong adhesion between graphene and its growth substrate makes it difficult to maintain film integrity by mechanical peeling methods, though they are compatible with industrial operation. Conversely, traditional chemical etching methods, while preserving integrity, rely on highly flexible carrier films to ensure conformal contact with the target substrate. This required flexibility renders the films fragile and difficult to handle, posing a significant challenge for automation and spatial alignment. Here, we report a mesh-embedded Vaseline structure, inspired by reinforced concrete, as a robust carrier film for graphene transfer. The Vaseline acts as an adhesive layer, ensuring conformal contact to preserve graphene's integrity, while also being easily removable. The embedded mesh provides a self-supporting framework, enabling straightforward handling and compatibility with industrial automation. We demonstrate successful graphene transfer onto SiO₂/Si wafers and curved surfaces with excellent integrity and cleanliness, and present a semiautomated transfer production line. Leveraging the precise spatial control afforded by the self-supporting carrier film, we further achieve, for the first time in a wet-transfer process, the fabrication of bilayer graphene with precisely controlled twist angles using CVD-grown domains, a capability previously accessible only through small-area manual assembly techniques. This work highlights the potential for scalable mass production and extends readily to other two-dimensional materials such as hexagonal boron nitride. By transforming the transfer process from handling fragile, floating films to manipulating a robust, self-supporting composite, our method bridges the gap between lab-scale demonstration and industry-scale automation.