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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	EP/L016087/1
Title	EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology
Status	Started
Energy Categories	Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics) 5%; Not Energy Related 85%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Energy storage) 10%;
Research Types	Training 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Professor AC Ferrari No email address given Engineering University of Cambridge
Award Type	Standard
Funding Source	EPSRC
Start Date	01 April 2014
End Date	31 January 2024
Duration	118 months
Total Grant Value	£4,812,552
Industrial Sectors	Electronics; Manufacturing
Region	East of England
Programme	Manufacturing : Manufacturing
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Professor AC Ferrari , Engineering, University of Cambridge (99.998%)
	Other Investigator	Dr T Hasan , Engineering, University of Cambridge (0.001%) Professor WI Milne , Engineering, University of Cambridge (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Diamond Light Source Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , IMEC, Belgium (0.000%) Project Contact , Novalia (0.000%) Project Contact , STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) (0.000%) Project Contact , Agilent Technologies UK Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Toshiba Research Europe Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Nokia Research Centre (0.000%) Project Contact , Philips Research Laboratories, The Netherlands (0.000%) Project Contact , Aixtron Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , DuPont (UK) Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Dyson Appliances Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Plastic Logic Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , IDTechEx Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , CambridgeIP (0.000%) Project Contact , Nanocyl SA,Belgium (0.000%) Project Contact , Nippon Kayaku Group, Japan (0.000%) Project Contact , Numerical Algorithms Group Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Polyfect Solutions Ltd (0.000%) Project Contact , Printed Electronics Limited (0.000%) Project Contact , Victrex plc (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract	Technologies, and our economy in general, usually advance either by incremental steps (e.g. scaling the size and number of transistors on a chip) or by quantum leaps (transition from vacuum tubes to semiconductor technologies). Disruptive technologies behind such revolutions are usually characterised by universal, versatile applications, which change many aspects of our life simultaneously, penetrating every corner of our existence. To become disruptive, a new technology needs to offer not incremental, but dramatic, orders of magnitude improvements. Moreover, the more universal the technology, the better chances it has for broad base success. This can be summarized by the "Lemma of New Technology", proposed by Herbert Kroemer: "The principal applications of any sufficiently new and innovative technology always have been - and will continue to be - applications created by that technology". Graphene is the first of a new class of materials with huge potential for applications, including tens of other two-dimensional crystals, hetero-structures based on these crystals, and their hybrids with metallic and semiconducting quantum dots and other nanomaterials. A key step to advance the commercial viability of graphene is to harness the emerging capability in graphene technology - including novel applications and production technologies. Graphene has many record properties. It is transparent like (or better than) plastic, but conducts heat and electricity better than any metal, it is an elastic thin film, behaves as an impermeable membrane, and it is chemically inert and stable. Thus, it is ideal for the production of next generation transparent conductors. Thin and flexible graphene-based electronic components may be obtained and modularly integrated, and thin portable devices may be easily assembled and distributed. Graphene can withstand dramatic mechanical deformation, for instance it can be folded without breaking. Foldable devices can be imagined, together with a wealth of new form factors, with innovative concepts of integration and distribution. By enabling flexible (opto)electronics, graphene will allow the exploitation of the existing knowledge base and infrastructure of companies working on organic electronics (organic LEDs, conductive polymers, printable electronics), and a unique synergistic framework for collecting and underpinning many distributed technical competences.At present, the realisation of an electronic device (such as, e.g., a mobile phone) requires the assembly of a variety of components obtained by many technologies. Graphene, by including different properties within the same material, may offer the opportunity to build a comprehensive technological platform for the realisation of almost any device component, including transistors, batteries, optoelectronic components, photovoltaic cells, (photo)detectors, ultrafast lasers, bio- and physico-chemical sensors, etc. UK will have the chance to re-acquire a prominent position within the global industry, by exploiting the synergy of excellent researchers and manufacturers.Skilled people are the most important ingredient for the successful implementation of this vision. The proposed CDT will strengthen the essential cross-disciplinary collaborations, develop new research activities and increase impact. The large investments that public and private bodies in UK, EU and worldwide are devoting to graphene technologies call for trained and qualified people. The huge demand requires a specific programme to train PhD students in technology of graphene and related materials, with a strong focus on the cutting-edge engineering and industrial applications. Our CDT will be an important step to meet this demand, providing a set of transferable skills and wide know-how, not limited to the material, but spanning the state of the art in flexible and wearable electronics, photonics, energy storage, RF systems, etc.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	23/06/14