Micro glow plasma for localized nanostructural modification of carbon nanotube forest
This paper reports the localized selective treatment of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, or CNT forests, for radial size modification of the nanotubes through a micro-scale glow plasma established on the material. An atmospheric-pressure DC glow plasma is shown to be stably sustained on the s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English English |
| Published: |
AIP Publishing
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/1/APL%202.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/7/51819_Micro%20glow%20plasma%20for%20localized%20nanostructural_Scopus.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/51819/8/51819_Micro%20glow%20plasma%20for%20localized%20nanostructural_WoS.pdf |
| Summary: | This paper reports the localized selective treatment of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, or CNT
forests, for radial size modification of the nanotubes through a micro-scale glow plasma established
on the material. An atmospheric-pressure DC glow plasma is shown to be stably sustained on the
surface of the CNT forest in argon using micromachined tungsten electrodes with diameters down
to 100 lm. Experiments reveal thinning or thickening of the nanotubes under the micro glow
depending on the process conditions including discharge current and process time. These thinning
and thickening effects in the treated nanotubes are measured to be up to �30% and �300% in their
diameter, respectively, under the tested conditions. The elemental and Raman analyses suggest that
the treated region of the CNT forest is pure carbon and maintains a degree of crystallinity. The
local plasma treatment process investigated may allow modification of material characteristics in
different domains for targeted regions or patterns, potentially aiding custom design of micro-electro-
mechanical systems and other emerging devices enabled by the CNT forest. |
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