Effect of growth pressure on the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and their growth termination.

When vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) are synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD), their structural features such as height and density can be determined by TCVD growth conditions. In this study we investigated the effect of growth pressure on the structural features of VACNTs. Changes in growth pressure significantly affected the height, density, and crystalinity of synthesized VACNTs. In addition, we suggest that the growth termination of VACNTs could be due to the lack of carbon feedstock supply to the center of the VACNT film induced by the pressure-dependent adsorption of amorphous carbon at the edge of the VACNT film. In addition, the field emission characteristics of the VACNT film were carried out. The turn-on voltage of the VACNT film was 1.62 V/microm and the field enhancement factor (beta) was 2478. These results provide useful information for practical applications of VACNTs, such as field emission display and X-ray source.

Synthesis of graphene and carbon nanotubes hybrid nanostructures and their electrical properties.

The gapless semimetallic nature of graphene-based nanoelectronics is a major hurdle for the advancement of graphene-based field-effect transistors. Here graphene-carbon nanotubes hybrid nanostructures (Gr-CNTs HNSs) were formed by synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a bandgap on monolayer graphene by thermal chemical vapor deposition. We systematically established optimum conditions for the synthesis of Gr-CNTs HNSs by adjusting catalytic layer formation. The structural features of Gr-CNTs HNSs were investigated by scanning electron icroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The surface morphologies and chemical states of the catlytic films used to optimize Gr-CNTs HNSs synthesis were explored by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In this process, graphene played a role as a barrier to prevent Fe nanoparticles from interdiffusing into Al2O3 layer. Based on these studies, we determined the catalytic structure (Fe/Graphene/Al2O3/SiO2) optimal for growing high-density SWCNTs on monolayer graphene. Electrical transport measurements revealed that Gr-CNTs HNSs exhibited p-type semiconducting behavior with combined properties of graphene and CNTs.