UK-based Paragraf is pioneering a new approach to graphene sensor manufacturing by creating customizable "blank canvas" components that users can adapt to their specific needs.
The company, located in Cambridgeshire, aims to establish itself as the first graphene foundry producing field effect transistor (gFET) sensing elements that industries can tailor for various applications. This innovative strategy marks a shift from traditional batch-to-batch production methods.
"We're not selling a finished sensor," explains Mark Davis, Paragraf's director of biosensors. Instead, the company grows graphene on sapphire substrates and adds contacts with a gate electrode, creating a base platform that customers can modify with different receptors based on their requirements.
This adaptable approach opens doors for applications across multiple sectors, including:
- Healthcare diagnostics for potassium ion sensing
- Agricultural wastewater monitoring for heavy metals
- Gas detection in healthcare and hydrogen energy
- pH measurement in cell therapy
- Food and beverage monitoring
- Chemical processing
The technology offers impressive capabilities, with chips able to accommodate up to 100 channels - far exceeding the typical 3-5 channels found in many existing gFETs. This expanded capacity enables enhanced multiplexing for detecting multiple biomarkers simultaneously.
Paragraf manufactures these sensors using semiconductor-industry techniques, directly depositing graphene onto wafers through metal organic chemical vapor deposition. This method avoids the common problems associated with transferring graphene from copper foil, such as structural defects and contamination.
The company's current production capacity allows for 32 gFETs per 51-millimeter wafer. With plans to expand manufacturing at their Huntingdon facility and their recent acquisition of Cardea Bio in San Diego, Paragraf aims to scale production while maintaining competitive pricing - targeting $1 per sensor for healthcare applications when producing over 1 million units annually.
While Paragraf also produces ready-to-use graphene Hall effect sensors for magnetic field measurements, their focus on customizable gFETs represents their bold vision for the future of graphene technology manufacturing.