Carbon Nanofiber Images

Credits: Sarah E. Baker, Kiu-Yuen Tse, Matt Marcus,

Jeremy Streifer, and Prof. Robert Hamers

Dept. of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin

(For more information, contact Prof. Hamers at 608-262-6371 or rjhamers@wisc.edu)

These images are scanning electron microscope images of shapes created by patterning vertically aligned carbon nanofibers. The individual carbon nanofibers are 50-75 nanometers in diameter. The diameter of a human hair is approximately 100 microns, or 100,000 nanometers. So, the carbon nanofiber "hairs" on the Bucky Badgers below are about 1,300 times thinner than a human hair. You can fit about 6-10 complete Buckys within the width of a human hair, and you can put about 9,000 of them on the head of a pin.

The patterning was done using a LEO Supra VP Scanning electron microscope equipped with a Nabity electron-beam lithography apparatus to define a spatial pattern of nickel catalyst.  The nickel catalyzes the plasma-assisted growth of the carbon nanofibers in a mixture of acetylene and ammonia.  This work is based in part on research sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Tilted Bucky Badger  High-resolution TIF	Tilted Bucky Badger with scale bar High-resolution TIF
Another tilted bucky badger  High-resolution TIF	Another tilted bucky badger with scale bar High-resolution TIF
Top-view of bucky badger High-resolution TIF
Nanofiber "W", tilted view High-resolution TIF
A smaller"W", top-down view  High-resolution TIF
High-resolution view of nanofibers from Bucky  High-R TIFF
Even higher-resolution view of nanofibers from bucky High-R TIF
NSF  High-resolution TIFF
Blowup of the "N" in NSF High-resolution TIF
NSF Logo, top view  High-resolution TIF	NSF Logo, top view, with scalebars High-resolution TIF
NSF Logo, tilted 25 degrees  High-resolution	High-resolution
Blatant Advertising  High-resolution TIF	Blatant Advertising, tilted 25 degrees  High-res tif
H, top view   High-resolution TIF	H, tilted 25 degrees High-resolution TIF
Blowup of part of the "H" in "Hamers"  High-resolution TIF
Hamers group Nano-mascot: Bucky Badger with an "H"	Hamers group Nano-mascot, with scale
This is the plasma growth chamber where Bucky was "grown". High-resolution version here	This is the scanning electron microscope where the electron-beam lithography was done.

Picture 2