Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes by Inductively Coupled Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition combined with substrate biasing using a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen was applied to low-temperature synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes and nanofibers. We found that the resultant carbon nanotubes, which were grown at 500°C, were aligned perpendicular to the substrate, and the aligned carbon nanofibers were synthesized even at a growth temperature as low as 200°C. The growth mechanism of the aligned carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers is discussed in terms of the moderate etching of carbon deposit by hydrogen species in inductively coupled plasma.