Synergetic carbon nanotube growth

We report an effect in vertically-aligned carbon nanotube growth in which small catalyst features in proximity to large features show an enhanced growth rate. We apply this so-called “synergetic growth” effect in micrometer-scale patterns to produce vertical-like growth horizontally. This approach enables carbon nanotube integration into device applications requiring a fair degree of carbon nanotube alignment. The synergetic growth effect corroborates growth mechanisms describing carbon nanotube growth as a more complex process than elemental carbon supersaturating metal catalyst.