Description:
Reference #: 01326
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Laser Induced Graphitization and Diamond Coating of Boron Carbide
Background:
Large-scale systematic creation and incorporation of graphene is currently slowed by the difficulties of its implementation into current processes, specifically electronic device fabrication.
Invention Description:
The localized formation of graphene and diamond like structures on the surface of boron carbide from exposure to high intensity laser illumination. The graphitization involves water vapor interacting with the laser-illuminated surface of boron carbide, leaving behind excess carbon. The process can be done on the micrometer scale, allowing for a wide range of electronic applications.
Potential Applications:
Improves the characterization of the amorphization of B4C by Raman mapping and the processing of B4C for impact-testing. Similarly, this has the potential to improve the processing of B4C composites such as sintering and consolidation. Additionally, it provided a means of writing conductive graphitic layers on semiconducting B4C single-crystal structures for electronics applications.
• Processes involving the amorphization of B4C
• Processes involving the creation of graphitic contacts
• Processing of B4C composites such as sintering, consolidation, etc.
• Applications in graphene or diamond coating
Advantages and Benefits:
Current creation of graphene often involves complex chemical processing or mechanical exfoliation which compromises the quality of the graphene to be used in electronic devices. Considering these issues and the current options, laser induced graphitization of B4C has the potential to simplify the way in which graphene and graphitic contacts are formed for electronic devices.
The relative simplicity of laser induced graphitization could allow for quicker adoption of this technology.