Large-scale growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes using cold-wall chemical vapor deposition

Carbon nanotubes have been considered as an alternative material for next generation nanoelectronic devices, such as the carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNT-FET) or nanosensor. Large-scale growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is particularly essential to the fabrication of the CNT-FET on a full wafer. In this study, SWNTs grown at designated positions on broken pieces in a conventional thermal furnace chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system and on a 4-in. full size silicon wafer in a cold-wall thermal CVD were compared. The distinct characteristics of SWNTs grown by the two systems are explained by the differences in the temperature distribution and the gas flow pattern, and their interplay with the catalysis and the feedstock gas decomposition. The adoption of cold-wall CVD process provides a simple method, but an essential step, toward commercial applications of SWNT-based devices.