Fabrication of high aspect ratio carbon nanotube-carbon composite microstructures based on silicon molding technique

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotube (CNT)/carbon composite microstructures with higher Young´s modulus than that of pyrolysis carbon. Hybrid microstructures consisted of CNT composite and Si are successfully fabricated by micromolding and pyrolysis of a resist (SU-8) mixed with CNTs. The photoresist mixed with CNTs is filled into a Si micromold fabricated by deep reactive ion etching (deep RIE), then the CNT/resist is converted to CNT/carbon microstructures using two-step high temperature pyrolysis process in an inert gas. Then, the Si substrate is patterned by deep RIE. The maximum aspect ratio of the composite structures is approximately 40.