Fabrication of dense carbon nanotube films using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Co nanoparticles as catalyst were prepared using excimer laser ablation. Vertically aligned, dense CNT films were grown successfully on a Cocatalyzed Si substrate with a TiN buffer layer. The density of CNTs with a diameter of approximately 6 nm was controllable by changing the deposition time of Co catalytic nanoparticles prior to nanotube growth. CNTs were grown rapidly during the first 3 min of growth, then the growth rate of CNTs decreased markedly. At the early stage of growth, the CNTs grew at an extremely high rate of 300 nm/s.