Superior thermal conductivity graphene films achieved by laser-irradiation-treatment

Abstract

Graphene films (GFs) exhibit exceptional thermal conductivity, making them highly promising for thermal management applications by efficiently dissipating heat and ensuring the stable operation of electronic devices. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by complex preparation processes, particularly due to the ultra-high temperature annealing treatments. To address this challenge, this work presents an energy-saving and simple-to-operate preparation strategy of GFs. The fabrication process involves the synchronous reduction and assembly of graphene oxide (GO) on metal substrates, followed by a two-step treatment consisting of 1000 °C annealing treatment and laser-irradiation treatment to remove the oxygen-containing functional groups and repair the structural defects in the film. By substituting traditional ultra-high temperature treatment with laser irradiation, this approach significantly reduces the energy consumption and fabrication time, and the resulting GFs, after mechanical pressing, achieve an in-plane thermal conductivity of 1801.07 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, surpassing that of conventional metal such as copper and aluminum. Therefore, our approach provides a superior thermal management solution for next-generation high-power electronics.