LASER ENHANCED 2D AMORPHOUS CARBON GROWTH AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Crystalline 2D materials have been well studied for a long time, while the growth of 2D amorphous monolayer is lacking. In this study, a new laser CVD system is developed and enabled the growth of a monolayer amorphous carbon. While having a thickness of 0.6 nm, it has some unusual properties. Unlike crystalline graphene, monolayer amorphous carbon is insulating, able to confine cracks, and more transparent. These properties make it a perfect choice for overcoating material for hard disk. While the commercial carbon overcoat used is 2.7 nm thick and experiencing a bottleneck in reducing the thickness, monolayer amorphous carbon can be an ideal substitute and hence improve the storage density of hard disk.