Computer Engineering Commons^™

Effects Of Hydrogen Pretreatment On Physical-Vapor-Deposited Nickel Catalyst For Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Growth, Benjamin L. Crossley, Mauricio Kossler, Ronald A. Coutu Jr., Lavern A. Starman, Peter J. Collins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Physical vapor deposited nickel catalyst layers of 10, 50, 100, 200, 350, and 500 angstroms were granulated using hydrogen plasma for varying times to determine an effective carbon nanotube (CNT) growth process using microwave plasma enhanced CVD (MPECVD). Nickel was deposited via sputtering or evaporation. The catalyst granule size, density, and resulting CNTs were analyzed. Sputtered nickel of 50 angstroms with 5 minutes of hydrogen plasma pretreatment resulted in the most effective CNT growth.