Direct writing of carbon nanotube patterns by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition on a transparent substrate

Dot array and line patterns of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully grown by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) on a transparent substrate at room temperature. In the proposed technique, a Nd:YVO4 laser with a wavelength of 532 nm irradiates the backside of multiple catalyst layers (Ni/Al/Cr) through a transparent substrate to induce a local temperature rise, thereby allowing the direct writing of dense dot and line patterns of MWCNTs below 10 μm in size to be produced with uniform density on the controlled positions. In this LCVD method, a multiple-catalyst-layer with a Cr thermal layer is the central component for enabling the growth of dense MWCNTs with good spatial resolution.