Graphenea recently introduced large area monolayer graphene suspended over microcavities as a standard catalog product, that can be used for NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical systems) due to its reliance on small vibrating membranes, which are sensitive to tiny forces.
Image courtesy of Stefan Wagner / Max Lemme, University of Siegen
NEMS are entering mainstream technology through sensors and actuators in platforms as common as inkjet printers, accelerometers, displays, and optical switches. The membranes used in NEMS need to be lightweight and stiff, with a high Young's modulus. As such, graphene is a very promising candidate for applications that require ultrathin membranes with excellent mechanical properties.
Since different NEMS dictate different requirements, Graphenea's modus operandi is that the customer makes its own cavities (tiny holes) in a substrate, and Graphenea uses a novel transfer method to cover the holes with high quality CVD graphene. Graphenea is also engaged in research of graphene NEMS within the EU FET Graphene Flagship initiative and also through the project GRAFOL.
Suspended graphene membranes also have uses other than NEMS, for example in optomechanical systems.