Graphene-Based Films for RF Applications

Carbon based materials, such as graphene, exhibit interesting physical and electrical properties and have been recently investigated. Films loaded with graphene are attractive for many applications as biosensors and chemical sensors as well as flexible electronics. Inks based on commercial graphene nanoplatelets with a proper combination of solvents and binders can be prepared and deposited with various techniques on substrates for RF applications. In this paper, an ink based on commercial graphene flakes is specifically made for doctor-blading on a dielectric substrate. The film is modelled with a lumped element circuit in the range 1 - 5 GHz. A comparison between the sheet resistance obtained experimentally with Van der Pauw measurements and the values of DC sheet resistance from the model is reported.