Preparation of self-supporting carbon thin films

For heavy-ion beam experiments, self-supporting carbon thin films are needed as targets, stripper foils and as backings (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 334 (1993) 69) for materials which cannot be produced self-supporting. resistance evaporation under high vacuum, self-supporting carbon foils with a thickness of 5 μg/cm2 and a diameter of 10 mm, a thickness of 10 μg/cm2 and a diameter of 50 mm up to a thickness of 50 μg/cm2 and a diameter of 300 mm can be obtained. Due to the energy impact of the heavy-ion beam, the amorphous carbon is restructured into textured graphite, as was found already by Dollinger et al. (Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 303 (1991) 79). The authors discuss the production process as well as the change of the layer structure caused by the energy deposit.