High-rate low-temperature growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

Nanotechnology. 2010 Dec 17;21(50):505604. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/21/50/505604. Epub 2010 Nov 23.

Abstract

We report the low-temperature growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at high growth rates by a photo-thermal chemical vapour deposition (PTCVD) technique using a Ti/Fe bilayer film as the catalyst. The bulk growth temperature of the substrate is as low as 370 °C and the growth rate is up to 1.3 µm min(-1), at least eight times faster than the values reported by traditional thermal CVD methods. Transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that as-grown CNTs are uniformly made of highly crystalline 5-6 graphene shells with an approximately 10 nm outer diameter and a 5-6 nm inner diameter. The low-temperature rapid growth of CNTs is strongly related to the unique top-down heating mode of PTCVD and the use of a Ti/Fe bimetallic solid solution catalyst. The present study will advance the development of CNTs as interconnects in nanoelectronics, through a CMOS-compatible low-temperature deposition method suitable for back-end-of-line processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't