Comparison of the efficiency of various substrates in growing vertically aligned carbon nanotube carpets

• Published in: Carbon (New York) 2011-12, Vol.49 (15), p.5271-5282
• Main Authors: Su, Chih-Chung, Chang, Shuo-Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alignment; Carbon; Carpets; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemistry; Chromium; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Ferrocenes; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; General and physical chemistry; Materials science; Physics; Specific materials; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Thin films; Tuning
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2011.07.045

Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VACNT) carpets have been synthesized on metal and isolating thin films without the use of a pre-deposited catalyst. We used ferrocene as precursor powder catalyst and acetylene as a carbon source to grow VACNT carpets using three-temperature-zone chemical vapor deposition (TTZ-CVD). Tuning the carrier gas Ar flow rate and the sublimation time of ferrocene in the TTZ-CVD extended the lifetime of the catalyst, increasing the efficiency of growth. Increasing the number of ferrocene loads increased the growth height of VACNT carpets on metal and isolating thin films. The effective growth rates of VACNT carpets were 10.4, 7.13, 4.8, 3, 2, 9.55, 7.6, 13.3, and 32.32 μm/min, respectively, on Cu, Ti, Au, Pt, Mo, Cr, Ag, Ni, and Si. VACNT carpets such as SiO 2 and Al 2O 3 also grew on the isolating thin films with growth rates of 37.28 and 23.8 μm/min, respectively. By controlling the growth parameters, the growth of VACNT carpets on selective substrates can be controlled.