A European research and industry consortium has unveiled a laser-based manufacturing process that could significantly accelerate the adoption of 2D materials in mainstream semiconductor production.
Developed under the Horizon Europe–funded L2D2 project, the technique enables graphene and related atomically thin materials to be transferred directly onto CMOS-compatible and silicon photonics wafers, overcoming a long-standing barrier to industrial-scale integration.
The project brings together partners from academia and industry, including the National Technical University of Athens, Graphenea Semiconductor, NVIDIA Mellanox, and Bar-Ilan University.
From lab curiosity to industrial reality
While 2D materials such as graphene have long promised dramatic performance gains in electronics and photonics, integrating them into existing chipmaking workflows has proven notoriously difficult.
Conventional transfer methods often rely on polymers or solvents, which can contaminate surfaces, introduce defects, and limit scalability. The L2D2 consortium claims its new approach eliminates these issues entirely.
At the heart of the advance is Laser Digital Transfer, or LDT, a single-step, solvent-free process that uses precisely controlled laser pulses to move and pattern 2D materials exactly where they are needed.
The method works at the wafer scale and is compatible with standard semiconductor manufacturing lines, a critical requirement for commercial uptake.
Precision at wafer scale
The LDT process allows engineers to transfer microscopic ‘pixels’ of graphene and other 2D materials, with feature sizes ranging from below 10 micrometres to several hundred micrometres.
Crucially, this can be done across full 4-inch and 8-inch wafers, aligning with the dimensions used in silicon photonics and CMOS fabrication today.
Because the process avoids polymers and liquid chemicals, the transferred layers remain clean and structurally intact.
According to the consortium, this results in reproducible, defect-free integration that can be automated, opening the door to high-volume manufacturing.
Professor Ioanna Zergioti, NTUA – Project Coordinator, emphasised the significance of the breakthrough: “LDT represents a decisive step toward bridging the gap between 2D materials research and semiconductor-grade manufacturing.
“Our results demonstrate that wafer-scale integration is now within reach.”
Powering the next generation of photonics
The implications extend far beyond materials science. By making 2D materials easier to integrate with silicon platforms, the technology could enable a new class of nano-optoelectronic devices.
Potential applications include faster and more energy-efficient optical modulators, highly sensitive photodetectors, compact integrated transceivers, and advanced sensing systems.
If successfully commercialised, Laser Digital Transfer could mark a turning point, moving 2D materials from experimental promise to practical deployment in next-generation chips.
