Abstract: By flowing an amount of hydrogen gas (25-75% of total flow), the stress of thin carbon films (100 nm-10 ?m) can be reduced. The films are deposited by chemical vapor deposition (800° C.-1100° C.) using an ethylene source gas (remainder of total flow). Carbon nanotube structures infiltrated with carbon by this method will not delaminate from the growth substrate, allowing for a range of post-processing methods. One process that can be performed is to etch the carbon “floor layer”, coat the structures in a Formvar film, and then release the structures using a chemical etch. Thin films (5-100 nm) can then be deposited on the substrate-defined Formvar surface. The Formvar can be removed by a thermal annealing step (400-600° C.), or a chemical etch step, either of which will leave suspended thin films over the open portions of the structures.