Strong influence of buffer layer type on carbon nanotube characteristics

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 187 - 190
• Main Authors: de los Arcos, Teresa, Gunnar Garnier, M, Oelhafen, Peter, Mathys, Daniel, Won Seo, Jin, Domingo, Concepción, Vicente Garcı́a-Ramos, José, Sánchez-Cortés, Santiago
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: A. Carbon nanotubes; B. Chemical vapor deposition, Catalyst support; C. Photoelectron spectroscopy; Catalytic methods; Chemical synthesis methods; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Physics; B. Chemical vapor deposition, Catalyst support; A. Carbon nanotubes; C. Photoelectron spectroscopy; Buffer layer; Chemical states; Scanning electron microscopy; Raman spectra; Catalytic reaction; In situ; Carbon nanotubes; Experimental study; Carbon; Photoelectron spectroscopy; High-resolution methods; Characterization; CVD; Growth from vapor; Transmission electron microscopy; Nonmetals; Chemical preparation; Catalyst supports
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2003.10.020

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been grown by chemical vapor deposition in a vacuum chamber equipped with in situ photoelectron spectroscopy technique that allows for precise characterization of the chemical state of substrate and catalyst before the CNTs growth. The CNTs were grown onto Si wafers covered with thin buffer layers of Al, Al 2O 3, TiN, and TiO 2, using Fe as catalyst. Marked differences were observed both in growth rate and nanotube characteristics, as determined by SEM, TEM and micro-Raman spectroscopy, depending on the choice of buffer layer.