Fabrication of carbon nanowalls by radio frequency magnetron sputtering of graphite target in argon plasma

Abstract

Vertical carbon nanowalls have been fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering of a graphite target in an argon plasma without hydrogen presence. The effect of deposition parameters such as substrate temperature, argon pressure, deposition time and RF power on the morphology and the structure of carbon nanowalls was investigated by using Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The argon ion bombardment of the substrate is crucial for the nucleation and growth of carbon nanowalls. A specific range of RF power and argon pressure values was established at which nanowalls formation is possible. The height of nanowalls produced at minimal RF power increases non-monotonically with the deposition time. It turned out that the nanowalls growth rate has an extremum, after reaching which the growth rate of the thickness of nanowalls increases.