0000000000042543
AUTHOR
Matti J. Hokkanen
Development of procedures for programmable proximity aperture lithography
Abstract Programmable proximity aperture lithography (PPAL) with MeV ions has been used in Jyvaskyla and Chiang Mai universities for a number of years. Here we describe a number of innovations and procedures that have been incorporated into the LabView-based software. The basic operation involves the coordination of the beam blanker and five motor-actuated translators with high accuracy, close to the minimum step size with proper anti-collision algorithms. By using special approaches, such writing calibration patterns, linearisation of position and careful backlash correction the absolute accuracy of the aperture size and position, can be improved beyond the standard afforded by the repeata…
Individual arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes probed with multiple measurement techniques
Arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AD-MWNT), or related MWNTs, exhibit a good quality compared to the more common type of MWNT synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition methods. Yet experimental measurements on these are rather few and typically have not correlated data from different measurement techniques. Here, the authors report Raman spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, conductivity measurements, and force microscopy on single AD-MWNTs. The results demonstrate the high quality of AD-MWNTs and are compatible with the view of them as the best approximation of MWNTs as an assembly of defect-free concentric individual single-walled carbon nanotubes. The au…
Depletion of carbon nanotube depositions and tube realignment in the spreading of sessile drops
Abstract We studied spreading of drops of water and dilute alcohol on multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) depositions. These deposits consisted of individual arc-discharge synthesized MWNTs and irregular amorphous carbon nanoparticles on hydrophilically rendered silicon substrates. The mobile circular contact line of a spreading drop created an annular shape on the deposit, where some of the MWNTs and the amorphous nanoparticles in particular were largely depleted. The effect was strongly dependent on the hydrophilicity of the substrate. Most of the MWNTs were not only left within the annuli, but were also apparently reoriented by their interaction with the passing contact line. Our results im…
On-chip purification via liquid immersion of arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AD-MWNT) have been proven to be of high quality, but their use is very limited due to difficulties in obtaining them in a clean and undamaged form. Here, we present a simple method that purifies raw AD-MWNT material in laboratory scale without damage, and that in principle can be scaled up. The method consists of depositing raw AD-MWNT material on a flat substrate and immersing the substrate slowly in water, whereby the surface tension force of the liquid–substrate contact line selectively sweeps away the larger amorphous carbon debris and leaves relatively clean MWNTs on the substrate. We demonstrate the utility of the method by prepa…
Experimental studies on the detachment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by a mobile liquid interface
International audience; Retention and detachment of colloidal particles from surfaces is often considered only in terms of spontaneous chemical dispersion when the surface is already fully submerged. Nevertheless, interfacial processes, where the particles are caught on a mobile liquid contact line by capillary effects are ubiquitous. Theoretical description of such interfacial processes exist for spherical microcolloids, while for anisotropic shapes the literature is limited. Arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) material contains besides the very anisotropic tubes also irregular amorphous carbon particles (ACP) that both are strongly hydrophobic. As a water–air–soli…