Speaker: Suji Park, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Abstract: The discovery of monolayer graphene through mechanical exfoliation in 2004 opened a new era in two dimensional (2D) materials research, driving advances across quantum information science, nanoelectronics, and optoelectronics. However, the broad adoption of 2D materials continues to be limited by the labor intensive and expertise dependent nature of their fabrication.
To address this challenge, we introduce the Quantum Material Press (QPress), an integrated robotic platform designed for the autonomous fabrication of 2D heterostructures. Housed in an Argon glovebox, QPress integrates a fully mechanized exfoliator, a machine vision based cataloger for automated flake detection, and a high precision robotic stacker for assembling heterostructures. Additional modules—including an electron beam evaporator and a high temperature annealer/plasma etcher—enable essential pre and post processing steps within vacuum or inert environment.
The exfoliator provides controlled rolling and peeling conditions that not only improve reproducibility and throughput but also offer insights into the physical mechanisms governing tape exfoliation. The cataloger employs ML/AI assisted image analysis, supported by Raman, AFM, and PL characterization, to identify and assess exfoliated flakes. The stacker provides six and three axis manipulation for assembling clean and reproducible heterostructures with high precision.
ML/AI techniques have the potential to further enhance QPress capabilities by optimizing exfoliation yield, automating flake selection, and improving stacking accuracy. This talk will highlight current progress toward fully automated 2D materials fabrication and discuss the broader implications of QPress for accelerating research throughout the 2D materials community.
