Growth process and mechanism of a multi-walled carbon nanotube nest deposited on a silicon nanoporous pillar array

A large scale nest array of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NACNTs) was grown on silicon nanoporous pillar array (Si-NPA) by thermal chemical vapor deposition. Through observing its macro/micromorphology and structure, ascertaining the catalyst component and its locations at different growth time by hiring field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and selected area electron diffraction, the growth process was deduced. Its thermal properties were also investigated by using a thermogravimetric analyzer. Our experiments demonstrated that the CNTs growth by means of root-growth mechanism at the initial growth stage, then a continuous growth process with its tip open is suggested, finally, a schematic growth model of NACNT/Si-NPA was presented.