Characteristics of carbon nanotubes deposited by using low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown using a capillary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)-type atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) system at a low temperature of 400 .deg. C, and their growth characteristics were investigated. The CNTs grown using He (6 slm)/C2H2 (90 sccm) AP-PECVD with additive gases (NH3, N2) for 5 minutes at 400 .deg. C after a pretreatment were multi-layer CNTs with diameter of 20 - 50 nm and uniform lengths of 1.5 - 2 μm. FT-Raman spectroscopy showed that the grown CNTs were multi-wall CNTs with a D-band/G-band intensity ratio of 0.9. Transmission electron microscopy of the AP-PECVD-grown CNTs showed that the CNT had a 30-nm outer diameter and a 7-nm hollow inner diameter with a Ni particle on the top of the tube.