Nanoporous-carbon films for microsensor preconcentrators

Nanoporous-carbon (NPC) films are grown using physical processes such as low-power pulsed-laser deposition with attenuation of the ablated carbon species kinetic energy attained by using an inert background gas. With room-temperature growth and negligible residual stress, NPC can coat nearly any substrate to any desired thickness. Control of the deposition energetics yields precise morphology, density, and hence, porosity, with no discernable variation in chemical bonding. We produce NPC films 8 mum thick with density <0.2 g/cm(3). The well-controlled porosity, i.e., available surface area, is demonstrated by using films with different thicknesses as a preconcentrator for a nerve-gas simulant. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.