RF plasma conditions for growth of carbon nanostructures

As the physical limits of silicon-based microelectronics are reached, a need for new materials is required in order to continually improve processor speed. Carbon nanotubes have been suggested as a material to fill in where silicon technology leaves off, due to their small dimensions and unique metallic and semiconductor properties. In order to better understand the conditions in which carbon nanostructures are formed, a detailed plasma analysis has been performed on a gaseous electronics conference (GEC) plasma chamber. This analysis includes plasma composition, rotational temperatures, and spatially resolved hydrogen actinometry during carbon nanostructure growth.