2D ENGINE targets new 2D materials phases that do not exist in Nature in bulk but that can be engineered by synthetic techniques in thin film form. The new 2D phases emerge from their 3D polar parent materials with the wurtzite structure and stabilize below a critical thickness (a few ML) as a result of surface energy minimization, adopting a planar non-polar hexagonal (h) BN-like structure. The new materials exhibiting sp2 hybridization are expected to have the stability of graphene but also possess a finite energy gap that makes them useful for (opto)electronic devices. h-AlN 2D dielectric as well as h-GaN and h-SiC 2D semiconductors are targeted with the aim to fabricate functional electronic and photonic devices, first as a means to validate the quality of these materials at the highest possible level, second to show that the new 2D phases could have an impact addressing urgent needs in digital and Si photonics technologies. Moreover, 2D ENGINE aims to show new functionalities such as nanoscale ferroelectricity produced by twisted bilayer h-AlN or h-BN which can lead to ultra-low power ferroelectric tunnel junction memristors for in-memory computing. To implement the objectives, we will base our growth methodology on liquid metal catalyst (LMCat) substrates to achieve seamless merging of small islands to larger-area single crystals in the mm scale. High-sensitivity synchrotron XRD, surface analytical techniques, Raman spectroscopy and radiation-mode optical microscopy will be employed for real time (operando) monitoring of growth and for the unambiguous identification of the new 2D phases at the atomic scale supported by atomistic simulations and AI-assisted data analysis. The necessary process modules will be developed with an emphasis on robotic-arm-assisted direct separation, layer twisting and transfer in order to assemble the device layer stacks for further processing of nano-scaled 2D transistors and integrated 2D LED/waveguide systems.

Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, silicene and others, are currently amongst the most intensively studied classes of materials that hold great promise for future applications in many technological areas. However, the main hurdle against practical utilization of 2DMs is the lack of effective mass production techniques to satisfy the growing qualitative and quantitative demands for scientific and technological applications. The current state-of-the-art synthesis method of 2DMs involves the dissociative adsorption of gas-phase precursors on a solid catalyst. This process is slow by nature, inefficient, and environmentally unfriendly. Our analysis and recent experimental evidence suggest that using liquid metal catalysts (LMCats) instead of solid ones bears the prospect of a continuous production of 2DMs with unprecedented quality and production speed. However, the current knowledge about the catalytic properties of LMCats is extremely poor, as they had no technological significance in the past. In fact, there exist no well-established experimental facilities, nor theoretical frameworks to study the ongoing chemical reactions on a molten surface at elevated temperatures and under a reactive gas atmosphere. Our aim is to establish a central lab under supervision/collaboration of several scientific/engineering teams across Europe to develop an instrumentation/methodology capable of studying the ongoing chemical reactions on the molten catalyst, with the goal to open two new lines of research, namely in situ investigations on the catalytic activity of LMCats in general, and unravelling the growth mechanisms of 2DMs on LMCat surfaces in specific. The gained knowledge will be used to establish the first efficient mass production method for 2DMs using the new LMCat technology. This will open up the possibility of exploiting the unique properties of 2DMs on an industrial scale and in every day devices.

Two-dimensional materials (2DMs) such as graphene, germanene, h-BN, transition metal dichalcogenides and others are currently amongst the most intensively studied classes of materials that hold great promise for future applications in many technological areas. However, the main hurdle against practical utilization of 2DMs is the lack of effective mass production and transfer techniques of high-quality 2DMs to satisfy the growing demands for scientific and technological applications. The current state-of-the-art synthesis method of 2DMs involves the adsorption of gas-phase precursors on a solid catalyst. This process is slow by nature, inefficient, and environmentally unfriendly. The produced 2DMs are often defective, contaminated, and suffering from very high residual stress, compromising their unique physio-chemical properties for the expected applications. During our ongoing FET-Open project of LMCat, we have studied a radically new synthesis method for growing 2DMs which employed a liquid metal catalyst (LMCat) instead of a solid one. Our recent experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that using LMCats bears the prospect of 2DMs with unprecedented quality and production speed. The major success of this project has motivated us to follow up on this via this industrially oriented proposal with the aim of demonstrating the possibility of continuous graphene production via performing its simultaneous growth and its direct separation from the LMCat. This is to increase the technology readiness level from TRL2 in the current FET-Open project of LMCat to TRL4 at the end of the proposed FET-Proact project of DirectSepa. To tackle the unprecedented challenge of direct separation, a multidisciplinary scientific and technological consortium with ample experience in this due to its past involvement with the FET-Open LMCat project, was put together. Success of the DirectSepa project has the potential to revolutionize the 2DM production market.