Experimental study of fullerene-family formation using radio-frequency-discharge reactive plasmas

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 407; no. 1; pp. 26 - 31
• Main Authors: Ishida, H., Satake, N., Jeong, G.-H., Abe, Y., Hirata, T., Hatakeyama, R., Tohji, K., Motomiya, K.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 22.03.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Carbon nanotube; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerene; Fullerenes and fullerene-related materials; Growth from vapor; Materials science; Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma applications; Radio-frequency glow discharge; Reactive plasma; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Fullerene; Carbon nanotube; Reactive plasma; Radio-frequency glow discharge; High-frequency discharges; Plasma physics; Nanotubes; Magnetic field effects; Operating mode; Electromagnetic fields; Experimental study; Plasma sheaths; Carbon; Growth from vapor; Nonmetals; Chemical preparation; Fullerenes; Nanostructured materials; Plasma deposition; Atomic clusters; Plasma characteristic; Glow discharges
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(02)00007-X

A formation regime of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in glow-discharge reactive plasmas is investigated in order to gain sharp insight into the relation between plasma characteristics and the generation processes of the fullerene families. The plasma is produced in a mixture of CH 4 and a small fraction of H 2 by the radio-frequency (RF) discharge across an externally-applied magnetic field. The plasma is found to be apparently localized around the RF electrode under certain conditions determined by the magnetic field strength and reactive-gas pressure. In this case, it is demonstrated that fullerenes and carbon nanotubes are most effectively generated on the RF electrode, which is negatively self-biased, and exposed to a strong plasma-sheath drop. Our results indicate that the creation of radical species, such as hydrocarbon precursors, due to the local discharge around the RF electrode, the sheath acceleration of positively-charged particles such as carbon ions, and the abstraction of the hydrogen from hydrogenated-carbon species or clusters, are important in the nucleation, formation, and growth of the fullerene families.