Laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition is investigated as a useful method to fabricate micrometer size carbon rods and to directly write an arbitrary deposit pattern. The deposits were produced on graphite substrates from pyrolytic decomposition of ethylene by irradiating focused argon ion laser beam at a wavelength of 514.5nm. Depending on whether the laser beam is stationary on a fixed location or scanning over the substrate, a growth of micro carbon rod or a direct writing can be achieved, respectively. Micro rods with various diameters, ranging from about 30 to 400 micrometers, with an aspect ratio of as large as 100 are fabricated using this method. Generally, a larger diameter rod is obtained as the laser power increases. Averaged growth rate of the rod varies from approximately 4 to 35 micrometer per second and increases with both gas pressure and laser power. Laser direct writing of carbon film is achieved by controlling scanning speed of the laser beam. When the scanning speed is too small, the film transforms into a rod growing toward the laser beam while a continuous film is obtained as the scanning speed and the deposition rate is balanced.

Date Published: 19 February 2003
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 4830, Third International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication, (19 February 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.486576

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4830:
Third International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication
Isamu Miyamoto; Kojiro F. Kobayashi; Koji Sugioka; Reinhart Poprawe; Henry Helvajian, Editor(s)