Atomic Layer Deposition of Buffer Layers for the Growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays
Journal article, 2019

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays (VACNTs) show a great potential for various applications, such as thermal interface materials (TIMs). Besides the thermally oxidized SiO 2 , atomic layer deposition (ALD) was also used to synthesize oxide buffer layers before the deposition of the catalyst, such as Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and ZnO. The growth of VACNTs was found to be largely dependent on different oxide buffer layers, which generally prevented the diffusion of the catalyst into the substrate. Among them, the thickest and densest VACNTs could be achieved on Al 2 O 3 , and carbon nanotubes were mostly triple-walled. Besides, the deposition temperature was critical to the growth of VACNTs on Al 2 O 3 , and their growth rate obviously reduced above 650 °C, which might be related to the Ostwald ripening of the catalyst nanoparticles or subsurface diffusion of the catalyst. Furthermore, the VACNTs/graphene composite film was prepared as the thermal interface material. The VACNTs and graphene were proved to be the effective vertical and transverse heat transfer pathways in it, respectively.

Thermal interface materials

Oxide buffer layers

Atomic layer deposition

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays

Author

Haohao Li

Shanghai University

G. Yuan

Shanghai University

B. Shan

Shanghai University

Xiao Xin Zhang

Shanghai University

Hongping Ma

Fudan University

Yingzhong Tian

Shanghai University

Hongliang Lu

Fudan University

Johan Liu

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Electronics Material and Systems

Shanghai University

Nanoscale Research Letters

1931-7573 (ISSN) 1556-276X (eISSN)

Vol. 14 119

Subject Categories

Inorganic Chemistry

Materials Chemistry

Composite Science and Engineering

DOI

10.1186/s11671-019-2947-5

More information

Latest update

5/6/2019 8