Comparison of the efficiency of various substrates in growing vertically aligned carbon nanotube carpets Original Research Article

Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VACNT) carpets have been synthesized on metal and isolating thin films without the use of a pre-deposited catalyst. We used ferrocene as precursor powder catalyst and acetylene as a carbon source to grow VACNT carpets using three-temperature-zone chemical vapor deposition (TTZ-CVD). Tuning the carrier gas Ar flow rate and the sublimation time of ferrocene in the TTZ-CVD extended the lifetime of the catalyst, increasing the efficiency of growth. Increasing the number of ferrocene loads increased the growth height of VACNT carpets on metal and isolating thin films. The effective growth rates of VACNT carpets were 10.4, 7.13, 4.8, 3, 2, 9.55, 7.6, 13.3, and 32.32 μm/min, respectively, on Cu, Ti, Au, Pt, Mo, Cr, Ag, Ni, and Si. VACNT carpets such as SiO2 and Al2O3 also grew on the isolating thin films with growth rates of 37.28 and 23.8 μm/min, respectively. By controlling the growth parameters, the growth of VACNT carpets on selective substrates can be controlled.