Combined growth of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanowalls by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

A technique is reported for the combined growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanowalls (CNWs) by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The observation serves as a direct proof of a close correlation between the growth of both materials because both are obtained in a single experiment without making any changes to the growth parameters. The growth of freestanding CNTs is driven by a nickel catalyst deposited on an oxidized silicon wafer. It is assumed that the remaining carbon radicals are inserted in the sidewalls and tips of the tubes after the saturation of the catalyst by abundant carbon, thereby forming a CNW layer on top of the CNTs. A possible growth scheme, based on qualitative analysis by electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, is presented. It is further shown that the CNWs easily detach by dipping the sample into water, while the CNTs remain attached to the sample.