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Title: Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate

Abstract

The present invention includes carbon nanotubes whose hollow cores are 100% filled with conductive filler. The carbon nanotubes are in uniform arrays on a conductive substrate and are well-aligned and can be densely packed. The uniformity of the carbon nanotube arrays is indicated by the uniform length and diameter of the carbon nanotubes, both which vary from nanotube to nanotube on a given array by no more than about 5%. The alignment of the carbon nanotubes is indicated by the perpendicular growth of the nanotubes from the substrates which is achieved in part by the simultaneous growth of the conductive filler within the hollow core of the nanotube and the densely packed growth of the nanotubes. The present invention provides a densely packed carbon nanotube growth where each nanotube is in contact with at least one nearest-neighbor nanotube. The substrate is a conductive substrate coated with a growth catalyst, and the conductive filler can be single crystals of carbide formed by a solid state reaction between the substrate material and the growth catalyst. The present invention further provides a method for making the filled carbon nanotubes on the conductive substrates. The method includes the steps of depositing a growth catalystmore » onto the conductive substrate as a prepared substrate, creating a vacuum within a vessel which contains the prepared substrate, flowing H2/inert (e.g. Ar) gas within the vessel to increase and maintain the pressure within the vessel, increasing the temperature of the prepared substrate, and changing the H2/Ar gas to ethylene gas such that the ethylene gas flows within the vessel. Additionally, varying the density and separation of the catalyst particles on the conductive substrate can be used to control the diameter of the nanotubes.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1175667
Patent Number(s):
7011771
Application Number:
09/996,523
Assignee:
Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Gao, Yufei, and Liu, Jun. Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate. United States: N. p., 2006. Web.
Gao, Yufei, & Liu, Jun. Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate. United States.
Gao, Yufei, and Liu, Jun. Tue . "Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1175667.
@article{osti_1175667,
title = {Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate},
author = {Gao, Yufei and Liu, Jun},
abstractNote = {The present invention includes carbon nanotubes whose hollow cores are 100% filled with conductive filler. The carbon nanotubes are in uniform arrays on a conductive substrate and are well-aligned and can be densely packed. The uniformity of the carbon nanotube arrays is indicated by the uniform length and diameter of the carbon nanotubes, both which vary from nanotube to nanotube on a given array by no more than about 5%. The alignment of the carbon nanotubes is indicated by the perpendicular growth of the nanotubes from the substrates which is achieved in part by the simultaneous growth of the conductive filler within the hollow core of the nanotube and the densely packed growth of the nanotubes. The present invention provides a densely packed carbon nanotube growth where each nanotube is in contact with at least one nearest-neighbor nanotube. The substrate is a conductive substrate coated with a growth catalyst, and the conductive filler can be single crystals of carbide formed by a solid state reaction between the substrate material and the growth catalyst. The present invention further provides a method for making the filled carbon nanotubes on the conductive substrates. The method includes the steps of depositing a growth catalyst onto the conductive substrate as a prepared substrate, creating a vacuum within a vessel which contains the prepared substrate, flowing H2/inert (e.g. Ar) gas within the vessel to increase and maintain the pressure within the vessel, increasing the temperature of the prepared substrate, and changing the H2/Ar gas to ethylene gas such that the ethylene gas flows within the vessel. Additionally, varying the density and separation of the catalyst particles on the conductive substrate can be used to control the diameter of the nanotubes.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 14 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Tue Mar 14 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Large-scale production of single-walled carbon nanotubes by the electric-arc technique
journal, August 1997


Coaxial Nanocable: Silicon Carbide and Silicon Oxide Sheathed with Boron Nitride and Carbon
journal, August 1998


Aligned Carbon Nanotube Films: Production and Optical and Electronic Properties
journal, May 1995


Synthesis and characterization of carbide nanorods
journal, June 1995


Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays Formed by Cutting a Polymer Resin--Nanotube Composite
journal, August 1994


Crystalline Ropes of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes
journal, July 1996


Large-Scale Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes
journal, December 1996


Catalytic growth of carbon filaments
journal, January 1989