Ultra-low density carbon foams produced by pulsed laser deposition

We report on the manufacturing of ultra-low density carbon foam produced by pulsed laser deposition. Mean mass density, morphology and structure were investigated within a broad range of process parameters. We have been able to obtain carbon foam layers having tunable mean density and thickness in the range 1–1000 mg/cm3 and 5–80 μm, respectively. Surface uniformity has been achieved over ∼1 μm2 areas with mean pore size around 10 nm. The morphological/structural properties have been investigated by means of quartz crystal microbalance, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Based on these results, this work shows how pulsed laser deposition can be exploited as a versatile tool for the deposition of carbon foams with tunable and tailored density, thickness and uniformity.