Carbon nanotube junctions obtained by pulsed liquid injection chemical vapour deposition

• Published in: Diamond and related materials 2010-07, Vol.19 (7), p.1052-1057
• Main Authors: Garcia, A.G., Duarte Correa, M.J., Perez Robles, J.F., Romero, A.H., Velasco-Santos, C., Apatiga, L.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Chemistry; CNT growth mechanism; CNT junctions; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Liquid injection; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanotubes; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; PLICVD; Quartz; Roughness; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2010.02.034

The effect of substrate surface roughness on the synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT) junctions is studied. CNTs were obtained by a pulsed liquid injection chemical vapour deposition system (PLICVD) and grown on quartz substrates with different roughnesses. Nickel particles were used as catalyst and acetone as the carbon precursor. Results shown that CNTs growth depend strongly on the substrate irregularity. When roughness is present, the presence of CNT junctions are increased. On the quartz surface, without any modification of roughness, CNTs are not obtained. Thus, a growth mechanism for CNT junctions, based on the substrate roughness is suggested. This method represents an important alternative to produce CNTs for applying them in nanoelectronic devices.