PECVD-growth of carbon nanotubes using a modified tip-plate configuration

We report a modified tip-plate configuration for the growth of carbon nanotubes using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Tip-plate configuration allows operation at atmospheric pressures, which in turn simplifies the fabrication procedure. Using this method we have realized carbon nanotubes on SiO2-coated silicon substrates at temperatures ranging from 650 to 750 degreesC. Tube diameter varies with the growth temperature and ranges from 20 to 200 nm in different samples. Near vertical growth has been observed at lower temperatures using a mixture of 90% H-2 and 10% ethylene as the feed gas. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been exploited to study the morphology of the grown layers. Nickel has been used as the growth catalyst, deposited with various thicknesses to study the nano-island formation and its effects on the growth of nanotubes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.