Branching carbon nanotubes deposited in HFCVD system

Branching carbon nanotubes were deposited as a by-product of diamond thick films in a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) system using acet one and hydrogen. The branching nanotubes were observed to be uniformly 'Y' shaped. Electron diffraction pattern (EDP) and Raman scattering analysis s howed that the nanotubes were well graphitized. A broadened graphite (0002) diffraction spot in EDP from the nanotube 'Y' junction was also observed a s a result of negative curvature surfaces. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) an alysis indicated that the nanotubes contained a small amount of Cu, which o riginated from the parts near the hot filaments. The Cu is believed to have acted as a catalyst for the large production of the branching carbon nanot ubes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.