Patterning of single walled carbon nanotubes using a low-fluence excimer laser photoablation process

Carbon nanotube films were patterned by an excimer laser projection photoablation process at low incident energy conditions. The carbon nanotubes were deposited on a quartz substrate and then a conventional photoresist was coated on it as a photoablation assistor. The photoresist and the carbon nanotubes were simultaneously patterned by the projection photoablation process, and then the photoresist was removed. It was possible to make clean patterns of carbon nanotubes even though the incident fluence on the carbon nanotubes was significantly lower than the threshold energy otherwise needed for their direct ablation.