Development of a fully automated desktop chemical vapor deposition system for programmable and controlled carbon nanotube growth

Abstract

We have rationally designed and developed a fully automated desktop furnace system that enables programmable chemical vapour deposition growth of carbon nanotubes with controlled height, density, and pattern architecture. Comprising several essential components involving a heating furnace, mass flowmeters, and computer controller, the developed system realizes controlled and practical carbon nanotube growth without resort to expensive and ponderous instruments. By programming, modifying, and loading the reusable recipes in the developed system, systematic and reproducible growths of carbon nanotubes with desired morphology and dimension can be performed. Growth results with controlled height, density, and pattern are demonstrated through the actual operations, confirming the validity and usefulness of the developed system towards various practical applications.

Recent advances in carbon nanotube patterning technologies for device applications

“…As shown in Figure 1A, catalytic photolithography is one of the most traditional methods for growing CNT forests by combining conventional catalyst deposition with catalytic etching. (Ahn et al, 2019). This technique allowed precise spatial control over the surface properties and selective deposition of catalyst precursors (Tawfick et al, 2010).…”

An automated chemical vapor deposition setup for 2D materials

“…Even though the literature has ample information about process development and optimization for the synthesis of 2D materials, we find limited details about the hardware and software used to implement that process. Recently, some articles have remedied the situation to some extent [4] , [5] .…”

From dots to tubes – the reversed scenario of bottom-up external-catalyst-free synthesis of N-doped carbon nanotubes

“…2 (N-)CNTs are synthesized mainly via arc discharge, laser ablation, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), 3 while the latter method has emerged as the most scalable route yielding the purest, readily applicable (N-)CNTs. 4 Although this method allows for the synthesis of (N-)CNTs from different carbon sources and in a variety of states of matter, such as gases, 5 liquids 6 or solids, 7 the employment of catalytic amounts of metallic nanoparticles is typically reported as essential for the synthesis of (N-)CNTs. 8 In 2004, the family of carbon nanoallotropes grew to include carbon dots (CDs) -fluorescent nanomaterials with a carbon core and oxygen/nitrogen functionalities on their surface.…”