METHODS OF DIRECT GROWTH OF CARBON NANOTUBES ON CATALYTIC SURFACES

摘要

ABSTRACTThe present invention uses a conductor as a catalytic support for carbon nanotube growth. The use of conductive catalytic support will provide a contact to the nanotubes with low resistance. Carbon nanotubes grown on insulators must be modified to allow good connections. Second, creation of catalytic particles has been largely accomplished by precipitation of transition metals from salt solutions or thermal decomposition of thin films, while the present method uses precipitation from a solid solution. This will allow better control of the size distribution of catalysts. The precipitates will be coherent with the support allowing good anchoring of the catalysts for base growth of carbon nanotubes. Third, the approach is amenable to patterning by photolithography or other means of applying copper/transition metal thin films.