Carbon tips with expanded bases grown with simultaneous application of carbon source and etchant gases
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsVladimir I. Merkulov, Douglas H. Lowndes, Michael A. Guillorn, Michael L. Simpson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described for carbon tips with expanded bases. A method includes producing an expanded based carbon containing tip including: fabricating a carbon containing expanded base on a substrate; and then fabricating a carbon containing fiber on the expanded base. An apparatus includes a carbon containing expanded base coupled to a substrate; and a carbon containing fiber coupled to said carbon containing expanded base.
Claims29
A method, comprising producing an expanded base carbon containing tip including:
- growing a carbon containing expanded base on a substrate;
- then
- transitioning from growing said carbon containing expanded base to growing a carbon containing extension by adjusting at least one growth parameter selected from the group consisting of a ratio of carbon source gas to etchant gas, a plasma power, a discharge voltage, a process pressure and a process temperature;
- and then
- growing the carbon containing extension on the expanded base,
- wherein i) growing said carbon containing expanded base includes simultaneously applying a carbon source gas and an etchant gas to said carbon containing expanded base and ii) growing said carbon containing extension includes simultaneously applying the carbon source gas and the etchant gas to said carbon containing extension and the carbon containing expanded base includes a precipitated graphitic carbon film.
A method, comprising producing an expanded base carbon containing tip including:
- growing a carbon containing expanded base on a substrate;
- and then
- growing a carbon containing extension on the carbon containing expanded base,
- wherein i) growing said carbon containing expanded base includes simultaneously applying a carbon source gas and an etchant gas to said carbon containing expanded base at a first carbon source gas to etchant gas ratio and ii) growing said carbon containing extension includes simultaneously applying the carbon source gas and the etchant gas to said carbon containing extension at a second carbon source gas to etchant gas ratio that is lower than the first carbon source gas to etchant gas ratio.
An apparatus, comprising an expanded base carbon containing tip including:
- a carbon containing expanded base coupled to a substrate;
- and
- a carbon containing extension coupled to said carbon containing expanded base, wherein the carbon containing expanded base includes a precipitated graphitic carbon film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.