Direct deposition of bamboo-like carbon nanotubes on copper substrates by sulfur-assisted HFCVD

Abstract

Films of bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) were grown directly on copper substrates by sulfur-assisted hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). The effects of substrate temperature and growth time over the BCNT structure were investigated. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron field emission (EFE) studies. SEM and Raman characterization indicate a transition from the growth of microcrystalline diamond to the growth of a dense entangled network of carbon nanotubes or fibers as the substrate temperature is increased from 400 to 900 °C that is accounted for by the base growth model. TEM images show that the nanotubes have regular arrays of nanocavities. These BCNTs show good electron field emission properties as other carbon films.