Michigan Technological University
Department of Physics

is pleased to announce the

Graduate Students Series Spring 2004

Vijaya Kayastha

Physics Graduate Student
Michigan Technological University
Advisor: Dr. Yoke Khin Yap

Growing Carbon Nanotubes
by Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been extensively investigated
since its discovery in 1991. Many applications have been suggested such
as electron field emission, nano-probes for scanning probe microscopes,
transistors, chemical sensors, nanocomposites, nano-tweezers and hydrogen
storage. However, the growth mechanism of CNTs is still fundamentally
unclear and has prevented their large-scale production and actual
applications. Further, various structural defects of CNTs have been
reported without an explanation. In this talk, I will discuss on growing
CNTs by a thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. Based on the
dissociative adsorption process of acetylene (C₂H₂) gas on iron (Fe)
nanoparticles, the growth mechanism of CNTs is scrutinized by
investigating the effects of catalyst pretreatment, growth temperature,
catalyst film thickness, and carrier gases.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

4:00 p.m., Fisher 139

Refreshments will be served

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