UoH, IIT Hyderabad secure patent for laser-based nanomaterial fabrication method
HYDERABAD: A research team from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) has secured an Indian patent for a new laser-based method to produce advanced nanomaterials. The technique could make production faster, cheaper and easier to scale for industrial use.
Single-step process cuts time and cost
The patent, titled “Method for Fabricating One or More Layered TMDC Material Using Bessel Beam Femtosecond Laser Ablation” (Grant No. 593108), was granted on June 23. The inventors are Sai Santosh Kumar Raavi, Challa Rajendra Kumar, Moram Sree Satya Bharati and Soma Venugopal Rao.
The technology is designed to produce ultra-thin sheets of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). These two-dimensional materials are being studied for use in next-generation electronics, solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and spintronic devices.
However, existing methods to isolate these materials are often slow, expensive and depend on chemicals. The newly patented process offers a simpler alternative. It uses ultra-short femtosecond laser pulses shaped into a special Bessel beam. As a result, it can separate atomically thin layers from a TMDC pellet in a single step.
Ambient process improves industrial scalability
The new method works under normal atmospheric conditions. It also removes the need for complex masks and costly vacuum systems used in many other fabrication techniques.
In addition, the process allows precise control over the thickness of the material. It also reduces heat damage and structural defects. According to the patent summary, the technique can produce high-quality monolayer and bilayer nanosheets.
The researchers said the innovation could support future advances in nanotechnology, semiconductor devices and clean energy applications. They added that the simpler process could also help make large-scale production more practical.
