Researchers at Iran’s Plasma Physics Research Centre of Islamic Azad University have developed an improved method to synthesize and grow carbon nanotubes. The new ion energy method can produce the nanotubes that have applications in manufacturing electron emitters and solid devices with high thermal conductivity.
Since the 1991 discovery of carbon nanotubes, researchers have attempted to optimize carbon nanotube production to lower their cost and increase their application in different industries.
Majid Mojtahedzadeh Larijani, one of the researchers, undertook this study with the aim of “Introducing a novel method for carbon nanotubes' growth especially on substrate beds with a catalytic base by means of ionic bombardment."
"The bed used in this study was steel. First in the process, sub-layer underwent surface treatment by argon ionic bombardment of the surface at different ion energies and doses. Then, carbon nanotube growth on bombarded samples using hydrogen and steel gases was accomplished by TCVD method and finally samples were analyzed by TEM, SEM, AFM, and Raman spectroscopy devices," Mojtahedzadeh told the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) news service in an interview.
The results showed that ion energy and dose in which sub-layer surface turns into fine grains are very appropriate for the growth of dense and adhesive carbon nanotubes. “These nanotubes could be applied for manufacturing electron emitters and solid devices with high thermal conductivity in electronics industry,” according to Mojtahedzadeh.
The details of the present study are available at Surface & Coatings Technology, volume 203, pages 2510 to 2513, 2009.
