AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanotubes: Science and Applications Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session NT-TuP

Paper NT-TuP1
Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubulated Fibers Grown by Microwave Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: K. Ito, Meijo University, Japan
Authors: M. Hiramatsu, Meijo University, Japan
K. Ito, Meijo University, Japan
K. Kato, Meijo University, Japan
C.H. Lau, University of Oxford, UK
J.S. Foord, University of Oxford, UK
Correspondent: Click to Email
Carbon nanotubes have attracted attention for several applications because of their unique properties such as high field electron emission capability and capacity for the storage of large amount of hydrogen. Carbon nanotubes with different structure and morphology can now be fabricated with several techniques. In the present work, carbon nanotubulated fibers were grown by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MWPCVD). These carbon nanotubulated fibers were in the form of the bundles of carbon nanotubes and were aligned perpendicular to the substrate. A mixture of methane and hydrogen was used as a carbon source gas. The applied microwave power and the pressure during the growth were 400-500 W and 25-30 Torr, respectively. The growth experiments were carried out for 5 - 15 min at a substrate temperature of 600 °C or less. The vertically aligned carbon nanotubulated fibers were grown selectively on a patterned Ni thin layer as a metal catalyst prepared on the silicon (100) substrate by electron beam evaporation. The diameters of the grown nanotubulated fibers were approximately 100 nm. Raman spectra for the carbon nanotubulated fibers fabricated were recorded, and the graphitised structure was clearly confirmed from the sharp G-line peak located at 1600 cm@super -1@. The field electron emission characteristics for the vertically aligned carbon nanotubulated fibers were investigated. The onset field of the field electron emission for the carbon nanotubulated fibers was 10 V/µm.