Abstract Submitted to the NANOTUBE'02 Workshop:

Synthetic method of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been investigated considering their applications to electronic devices. To improve a yield and selectivity of SWNTs on patterned substrate, the optimization of catalyst was progressed by thermodynamic approaching. Catalysts were prepared by thin film deposition (Co, Ni, Fe, Mo and their alloys) on silicon substrate using ultra high vacuum (<10^-10torr) e-beam evaporation and D.C. magnetron sputtering system with an accurate thickness controller in angstrom scale. SWNTs were grown by catalytic decomposition of methane at the temperature range between 700^oC and 1000^oC. Through an addition of Mo and introduction of alloying system in the catalyst film, a nucleation site and activity for SWNT could be increased due to the change of its microstructure. Characterization of nano-particle seeds on the substrate was performed by HR-TEM and Moke system (spectroscopy for magnetic properties) to investigate their catalytic role for carbon deposition. The nucleation and growth mechanism of SWNTs on various catalysts will be presented by thermodynamic model.