Low-temperature single-wall carbon nanotube synthesis by thermal chemical vapor deposition

Reduced-temperature synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is of interest for their growth into device architectures and their efficient bulk production. SWNTs were grown via the thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of low-pressure ethylene over iron particles supported on silicon wafers at temperatures down to 550degreesC. The SWNT structure and quality were confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy.