Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

HL: Fachverband Halbleiterphysik

HL 32: C/diamond

HL 32.1: Talk

Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 16:30–16:45, H14

Diameter and density controlled synthesis of high quality carbon nanotubes via predefined gas phase prepared catalyst particles — •Franziska Schäffel, Christian Kramberger, Mark Rümmeli, Daniel Grimm, Thomas Gemming, Thomas Pichler, Bernd Büchner, Bernd Rellinghaus, and Ludwig Schultz — IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden, Germany

Due to their excellent mechanical and electronic properties carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising candidates for the integration into nano-electro-mechanical systems such as nanorelays and actuators or transistors. Effective control of the CNT growth and positioning is however mandatory for the realization of any of these applications. We report on an innovative technique to grow CNT by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using cyclohexane. Here, the catalyst particles are synthesized separately by inert-gas condensation using DC magnetron sputtering at pressures in the mbar range. This allows for the production of pure catalyst particles with a narrow particle size distribution. The particles act as individual nucleation sites for the growth of CNTs. The size of the particles and their spatial distribution template the diameter and the density of the resulting CNT, respectively. This use of separately generated particles provides significant advantages such as the possibility to engineer the size, morphology, spatial distribution, and mutual separation of the CNTs prior to the CVD process. The opportunity to characterize the catalyst particles prior to the CVD reaction together with post-CVD studies of the resulting CNTs provides superior insight into the CNT growth process.