Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes on a Moving Substrate by Laser-Induced Chemical Vapor Deposition

An open-air laser-induced chemical vapor deposition technique has been successfully used to rapidly deposit pillars of carbon nanotube forest on a moving glass substrate. A CO₂ laser is used to heat a traversing fused quartz rod covered with metal particles inside a hydrocarbon environment. Pyrolysis of hydrocarbon precursor gas occurs and subsequently gives rise to the growth of multi-wall carbon nanotubes on the substrate surface. The experimental results indicate that nanotube growth kinetics and microstructure are strongly dependent on the experimental parameters such as laser power. The typical deposition rate of carbon nanotubes achieved in this study is over 50 μm/s, which is relatively high compared to existing synthesis techniques. At high power laser irradiation, carbon fibers and carbon film are formed as a result of excessive formation of amorphous carbon on the substrate. High-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry are used to investigate the deposition rate, microstructure and chemical composition of the catalytic surface and the deposited carbon nanotubes.