EPITAXIAL CARBON NANOTUBE FILM SELF-ORGANIZED BY SUBLIMATION DECOMPOSITION OF SILICON-CARBIDE

A film of well-oriented carbon nanotubes was produced by sublimation d ecomposition of silicon carbide at 1700 degrees C by using YAG laser h eating in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The processes of S iC decomposition and the formation of carbon nanotubes were observed s uccessively by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Carbon nano tubes were mostly oriented along the [111] direction on the (111) surf ace plane of beta-SiC single crystal. The interface between them was o bserved by HREM. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.