Fabrication of the aligned and patterned carbon nanotube field emitters using the anodic aluminum oxide nano-template on a Si wafer

Abstract

Aligned and patterned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been fabricated via catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nano-template. AAO nano-templates were prepared on the Nb-patterned silicon wafer by anodization process. After the cobalt catalyst had been electrochemically deposited at the pore bottom of the AAO nano-template on Nb pattern, CNTs were grown by chemical vapor deposition of 10% acetylene and 20% hydrogen in an argon carrier gas at 650 °C. Selectively grown CNTs from Nb pattern, standing normally on the AAO nano-templates, were observed. The diameter of CNTs was 60–90 nm and similar to the diameter of AAO nano-template. The density of aligned CNTs was in the order of 10 7–10 8 cm −2. Preparation of AAO nano-template on Nb-patterned wafer and growth characteristics of CNTs in the AAO nano-template are presented. The field emission measurement on the patterned CNTs showed a turn-on field of 2.3 V/μm and a field enhancement factor of 4200.