The fabrication of high aspect ratio carbon nanotube arrays by direct laser interference patterning

High aspect ratio periodic carbon nanotube arrays were fabricated using direct laser interference patterning with a frequency tripled Nd:YAG (YAG: yttrium aluminium garnet) laser (lambda = 355 nm) emitting 10 ns laser pulses. The depth of the fabricated arrays could be adjusted by controlling the number of laser pulses. Application of successive laser pulses (10-20) induced pattern distortion, resulting in the formation of conical organized arrays. The number of laser pulses necessary to produce this distortion is proportional to the spatial period of the interference pattern. Raman spectroscopy analyses confirmed that the chemical form of the carbon nanotubes was preserved after patterning.