Photoconductivity of multiwalled CNT deposited by CVD

Structural, optical and electrical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes deposited by chemical vapour deposition at 750 degrees C on sapphire substrate have been investigated. The main results concern the photoconductivity measurements. The photocurrent induced by white light illumination is a linear function of either the bias voltage or the optical power density in wide ranges. The photoresponse increases from the near infrared to the ultraviolet region with decreasing the wavelength of the monochromatic incident radiation in the 325-850 nm range. The photoresponse is strongly correlated to the optical absorbance. The optical and photoconductivity properties explored in multiwalled carbon nanotube samples with relatively large area appear very interesting for the development of light sensors. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.