Low-Temperature Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanofibers on Glass Substrates by Inductively Coupled Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (CNF) films were successfully grown on glass substrates at 450 °C with metal buffer layers by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD). The diameter and number density of the aligned CNFs can be controlled by changing the type and thickness of the metal buffer layers deposited on the glass substrates. The metal buffer layers play an important role in reducing the thermal expansion coefficient difference between the catalyst metal film and the glass substrate, resulting in the enhancement of the formation of catalyst nanoparticles so as to grow the aligned CNFs with high number density.