Carbon nanotube composites synthesized by ion-assisted pulsed laser deposition

We have synthesized thin CNx films on Si (100) substrate at high temperatures (600 and 700°C) by nitrogen ion-assisted pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The bonding characteristics and microstructure determinations have been accomplished using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), respectively. The radial distribution function (RDF) analysis of the electron diffraction patterns was performed to determine the short range atomic order in these films. The results reveal the presence of carbon predominantly in the trigonally-coordinated state with small fractions of nitrogen (upto 20 at.%) bonded to carbon. The electron diffraction and the high resolution images in cross-section view reveal that there is a textured growth of nanotube or graphite-like ribbons. The plan-view specimens show high resolution images with bended layers similar to that of onion or nanotube like features. The kinetics of the ions assisting the growth is assumed to be important to grow the basal planes (00l) of graphite perpendicular to the substrate. The large anisotropic surface energies in two perpendicular directions in graphite suggest that ions can create nonequilibrium conditions to alter the growth mode of graphitic planes. The importance of ion-assisted PLD to grow novel nanotube or fullerenelike structure in the form of thin film composites for electron field emission devices is emphasized.