The ability to grow carbon nanotubes/nanofibres (CNs) with a high degree of uniformity is desirable in many applications. In this paper, the structural uniformity of CNs produced by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition is evaluated for field emission applications. When single isolated CNs were deposited using this technology, the structures exhibited remarkable uniformity in terms of diameter and height (standard deviations were 4.1 and 6.3% respectively of the average diameter and height). The lithographic conditions to achieve a high yield of single CNs are also discussed. Using the height and diameter uniformity statistics, we show that it is indeed possible to accurately predict the average field enhancement factor and the distribution of enhancement factors of the structures, which was confirmed by electrical emission measurements on individual CNs in an array.

We present a new synthesis route for nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (CNx) based on the aerosol method. Tubes with a record high concentration of nitrogen (approximately 20 atom%) have been synthesized, confirmed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). A strong correlation between the N/C ratio and morphology of the tubes is observed and discussed.

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The use of phosphorus as a co‐catalyst enabling modification of the kinetic equilibrium between the elementary growth steps of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and induction of a mechanism of sequential catalytic growth is reported. The mechanism produces nanotube‐based filaments periodically inserted with catalyst nanoparticles, which resemble nanoscale matches (see Figure).

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Multi walled nitrogen doped nanotubes were synthesized using two different methods. The growth mechanism and nitrogen concentration of the nanotubes synthesized by both methods are discussed and studied. The morphology and nitrogen concentration of the nanotubes are seen to strongly depend on the synthesis methods. The results are based on detailed high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) data coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

We present preliminary results on a microfabrication approach to enable the integration of high yield, uniform, and preferential growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) on low-stress micromechanical structures using a combination of “electron-beam crosslinked” poly(methylmethacrylate) surface nanomachining and direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of electric-field-aligned carbon nanotubes. In this article, selective placement of high yield and uniform VACNTs on a partially suspended Ni/SiO2/Ti microstructure has been demonstrated.