Fabrication, Densification, and Replica Molding of 3D Carbon Nanotube MicrostructuresDavor Copic 1, Sei Jin Park 1, Sameh Tawfick 1, Michael De Volder 2, A. John Hart 1
1Mechanosynthesis Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan , 2IMEC, Belgium
We present methods for fabrication of patterned microstructures of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and their use as master molds for production of polymer microstructures with organized nanoscale surface texture. The CNT forests are densified by condensation of solvent onto the substrate, which significantly increases their packing density and enables self-directed formation of 3D shapes.