Yc. Choi et al., Growth of carbon nanotubes by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at low temperature, J VAC SCI A, 18(4), 2000, pp. 1864-1868
Carbon nanotubes have been grown on Ni-coated Si substrates by microwave pl
asma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with a mixture of methane and hydro
gen gases at temperatures ranging from 520 to 700 degrees C. The density an
d the length of the carbon nanotubes increased with increasing growth tempe
rature. At a growth temperature of 520 degrees C, the carbon nanotubes were
curly, whereas the nanotubes were straight and self-aligned upward at temp
eratures above 600 degrees C. Images from high-resolution transmission elec
tron microscopy showed that the nanotubes were multiwalled, with a few wall
structures. The graphitized structures were also confirmed by Raman spectr
a. We show that the size of Ni grains on Si substrates is correlated to the
diameters of the grown carbon nanotubes. (C) 2000 American Vacuum Society.
[S0734-2101(00)10004-1].