Measuring the Adhesion of Graphene Flake Networks via Button Shear Tests

Abstract: Graphene flake-based dispersions are attractive materials for various applications in microelectronics because of their ease of fabrication and the potential to deposit them on diverse substrates. The integration of these materials into conductive networks and microdevices requires thorough knowledge of their mechanical material properties, including adhesion. This paper presents quantitative adhesion measurements of graphene flake networks on silicon dioxide (SiO${_2}$) via button shear testing (BST). In this method, shear forces are applied to prefabricated micrometric buttons until they delaminate, providing information about the shear strength of the underlying graphene. We applied BST to graphene flake networks with different flake structures and defect densities. Flat flakes, a flat network structure, and a high flake defect density improve adhesion. We further demonstrate that graphene flake networks have stronger adhesion than chemical vapor deposited monolayer graphene grown on copper and transferred to SiO${_2}$. Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) increases the total adhesion force by improving flake network formation. Finally, we provide flake-type-specific delamination patterns by combining BST, optical microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. We establish BST as a quantitative technique for measuring the adhesion of graphene dispersions and show the crucial role of interflake junctions in the overall adhesion of graphene flake networks.