CVD growth and field electron emission of aligned carbon nanotubes on oxidized Inconel plates without addition of catalyst

Direct growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on Inconel 600 sheets was investigated using plasma enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition in a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen. The Inconel 600 sheets were oxidized at different temperatures (800 °C, 900 °C, 1000 °C, and 1100 °C) before CNT deposition. The structure and surface morphology of the pre-treated substrate sheets and the deposited CNTs were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The field electron emission (FEE) properties of the CNTs were also tested. The SEM results show that well aligned CNTs have been grown on the pre-treated Inconel sheets without addition of any catalysts and the higher treatment temperature resulted in CNTs with better uniformity, indicating that the oxidation pre-treatment of the substrate is effective to enhance the CNT growth. FEE testing shows that CNTs with better height uniformity exhibit better FEE characteristics.