Graphene Transfer with Thermal Release Tape: Step-by-Step Guide

Thermal release tape (TRT) is one of the simplest ways to move CVD graphene from its copper growth foil onto a target substrate. It avoids spin-coating a polymer support, it scales from a few millimetres up to full wafers, and the tape comes off with heat instead of solvents. This guide explains how thermal release tape graphene transfer works, walks through a typical lab protocol step by step, and lists the most common problems and how to avoid them.

What is thermal release tape?

Thermal release tape is a single-sided adhesive film whose glue loses its grip when it is heated above a set temperature. At room temperature it sticks firmly to graphene; after heating, the adhesive foams and the peel strength drops to almost zero, so the tape lifts off and leaves the graphene on the new substrate.

Our thermal release tape for graphene transfer is a typical example of the construction used in 2D-material labs:

• Release grades: 90–100 °C (for temperature-sensitive substrates such as PET) or 120–140 °C
• Peel strength: 850 g/25 mm before heating, 0 g/25 mm after heating
• Layers: 38 µm liner, 45 µm adhesive, 100 µm PET carrier
• Sheet size: 200 × 200 mm, easy to cut to the size of your sample
• Cleanup: the adhesive is soluble in ethyl acetate

Why use thermal release tape instead of PMMA?

The classic wet transfer uses a spin-coated PMMA layer as a temporary support. It works well, but it needs a spin coater, careful handling of a floating film and an acetone step that can leave polymer residue. Thermal release tape transfer has several advantages:

• Faster: no spin-coating or baking of a polymer layer
• Easier handling: the graphene is held on a stiff, flat tape instead of a fragile floating film
• Scalable: the same method works for small chips and large areas, and is the basis of roll-to-roll graphene transfer
• Dry final step: the tape is released by heat, so the target substrate does not need to be dipped in solvent to remove the support

PMMA transfer still gives the gentlest contact and is often preferred for the very smallest, most delicate devices. Many labs keep both methods available. If you prefer PMMA, our graphene on copper foil is also available with a PMMA protective layer already applied.

What you need

• CVD monolayer graphene on copper foil
• Thermal release tape in the right release grade for your substrate
• Copper etchant, for example ammonium persulfate or iron(III) chloride solution
• Deionised water for rinsing
• Target substrate (Si/SiO₂, glass, quartz, PET, polyimide …)
• Hot plate or convection oven, a soft roller or flat press, tweezers and clean-room gloves

Step-by-step: graphene transfer with thermal release tape

1. Prepare the target substrate

Clean the substrate thoroughly — for Si/SiO₂ a solvent clean (acetone, isopropanol) followed by oxygen plasma or UV-ozone is common. A clean, slightly hydrophilic surface improves adhesion of the graphene once the tape is released.

2. Remove backside graphene (recommended)

CVD graphene grows on both sides of the copper foil. The graphene on the back can stay attached to the copper and contaminate the etch bath or your sample. Many groups remove it with a short oxygen plasma on the back side before etching, while the front side is protected.

3. Laminate the tape onto the graphene

Cut a piece of tape slightly larger than the graphene, remove the liner and place the adhesive side onto the graphene-on-copper. Press with a soft roller or between flat plates to remove air bubbles. Good, uniform contact here is the single biggest factor for high coverage after transfer.

4. Etch away the copper

Float or immerse the tape/graphene/copper stack in the copper etchant until all copper has dissolved. The time depends on the etchant concentration and the foil thickness. Rinse the tape several times in deionised water to remove etchant residues, then dry it gently with nitrogen.

5. Place the tape on the target substrate

Laminate the tape, graphene side down, onto the clean substrate. Again, press evenly to bring the graphene into full contact with the surface. Trapped air or wrinkles at this point become cracks and holes later.

6. Heat to release

Place the sample on a hot plate or in an oven a few degrees above the release temperature of the tape. For the 90–100 °C grade, a typical release is around 3 minutes at 105 °C in a convection oven. When the adhesive loses its grip the tape lifts or slides off easily — do not peel it by force.

7. Clean the graphene

Remove any adhesive residue by rinsing in a suitable solvent (the adhesive on our tape dissolves in ethyl acetate) followed by isopropanol, and dry with nitrogen. Many labs finish with a thermal anneal in vacuum or forming gas to further reduce residues and improve electrical performance.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Cracks and holes in the graphene: usually caused by poor contact during lamination or by forcing the tape off before it is fully released. Use more even pressure and allow the full release time.
• Tape will not release: the hot plate is below the release temperature, or the sample is not heating evenly. Check the actual surface temperature.
• Graphene stays on the tape: the substrate surface is not clean or hydrophobic. Add a plasma or UV-ozone step before transfer.
• Dark spots or residues: incomplete rinsing of the etchant or adhesive. Rinse more thoroughly and consider an anneal.
• Substrate deforms: the release temperature is too high for a polymer substrate. Switch to the 90–100 °C grade.

Which release temperature should I choose?

Choose the 90–100 °C grade for flexible and temperature-sensitive substrates such as PET, or whenever you want to keep thermal stress low. Choose the 120–140 °C grade when your process runs warmer before the release step, for example if you need to bake or process the sample without the tape letting go too early.

Skip the transfer altogether

If you need graphene on silicon but don’t want to do the transfer yourself, our monolayer graphene on Si/SiO₂ (90 nm) is delivered already transferred and ready for lithography and device fabrication. For complete sensor chips, see our graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs).

Questions about your transfer process? Contact our team — we are happy to help you choose the right materials.