Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown on geometrically different types of surface

Abstract Aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which were always perpendicular to the surface of substrate were synthesized on geometrically different surface through microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MWPCVD) at the low temperature of 550 °C. Growth was performed in a flowing mixture of CH 4 and H 2 . Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the vertically aligned growth occurred under the effect of plasma. When the substrate was not contacted with plasma, only randomly entangled CNTs had grown on the substrate. The research results demonstrate that the electrical self-bias imposed on the surface is the primary mechanism responsible for the alignment of CNTs.