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Title: High-yield growth kinetics and spatial mapping of single-walled carbon nanotube forests at wafer scale

Journal Article · · Carbon

Emerging commercial applications of vertically aligned, single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) “forests” require synthesis that minimizes nanotube diameter while maximizing number density across substrate areas exceeding centimeter scale. To address this need, we synthesized SWCNT forests on full silicon wafers with notable reproducibility and uniformity, and co-optimized growth for small diameters and high densities across large areas to access new territory in this 3D parameter space. We mapped the spatial uniformity of key structural features using Raman microscopy, synchrotron X-ray scattering, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Low C2H2 flux over sub-nm Fe/Mo catalysts produced small-diameter SWCNTs (2.1 nm) at high number densities (2.26 × 1012 cm-2) on wafers up to 6 in. Although removing Mo resulted in larger SWCNT diameters and lower densities (<0.7 × 1012 cm-2), mass conversion rates from C2H2 to SWCNT product were high and remarkably invariant for catalyst compositions and densities (i.e., 47.7% or 1.30 × 106% g-catalyst-1 on 4-in. wafers). These carbon conversion efficiencies far exceed typical benchtop reactors and are on par with the best reported literature values. Our detailed elucidation of correlations among structural characteristics within this resource-efficient process is expected to guide future scale-up efforts of SWCNT forest growth beyond wafer scale.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344; AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1642502
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1580312
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-778865; 972819
Journal Information:
Carbon, Vol. 159, Issue na; ISSN 0008-6223
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 8 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Girshevitz, Olga; Richter, Vova; Avraham, Efrat Shawat
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 35, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4999774
journal November 2017
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