Laser-induced forward transfer of carbon nanowalls for soft electrodes fabrication

Abstract

Carbon nanowalls (CNW) are two-dimensional interconnected graphitic nanostructures that have a few μm in length and height, reaching typical thicknesses of a few tens of nm. We present results on such layers synthesized in a low pressure argon plasma jet, injected with acetylene and hydrogen, on transparent substrates (quartz) heated at 600°C, without catalyst. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the CNW are stable up to 420°C in air, and Raman spectroscopy investigations highlight their graphene-like structure. Finally, using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser device (355nm, 50ps), we show that 2D-arrays of CNW (pixels and lines) can be printed by laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT), preserving their architecture and structure. Electrical measurements on 1μm thick CNW demonstrate typical values in the range of 357.5–358.4Ω for the samples grown on Au/Cr electrodes, and in the range of 450.1–474.7Ω for the LIFT printed lines (under positive, negative, and neutral polarization; 1kHz–5MHz frequency range; 500mV and 1V, respectively). Their morphology is highlighted by means of optical and electronic microscopy. Such structures have potential applications as soft conductive lines, in sensor development and/or embedding purposes.