title: Corrugated carbon nanotube microstructures with geometrically tunable compliance.
abstract: Deterministic organization of nanostructures into microscale geometries is essential for the development of materials with novel mechanical, optical, and surface properties. We demonstrate scalable fabrication of 3D corrugated carbon nanotube (CNT) microstructures, via an iterative sequence of vertically aligned CNT growth and capillary self-assembly. Vertical microbellows and tilted microcantilevers are created over large areas, and these structures can have thin walls with aspect ratios exceeding 100:1. We show these structures can be used as out-of-plane microsprings with compliance determined by the wall thickness and number of folds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. michael.devolder@imec.be
authors.forename: Michaël F L
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De Volder
authors.forename: Sameh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tawfick
authors.forename: Sei Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hart