Catalyst-free growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes

• US 20040035355A1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martel, Richard, Radosavljevic, Marko, Avouris, Phaedon, Derycke, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 6,843,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 117/40
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 1/02 by thermal treatment, e.g. strain annealing C30B1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/66 Crystals of complex geometrical shape, e.g. tubes, cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/75 Single-walled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

A method for growing single-walled nanotubes comprises providing a silicon carbide semiconductor wafer comprising a silicon face and a carbon face, and annealing the silicon carbide semiconductor wafer in a vacuum at a temperature of at least about 1300 degrees Celsius, inducing formation of single wall carbon nanotubes on the silicon face.

Claims

1. A method for growing single-walled nanotubes comprising the steps of:

providing a silicon carbide semiconductor wafer comprising a silicon face and a carbon face; and

annealing the silicon carbide semiconductor wafer in a vacuum at a temperature of at least about 1350 degrees Celsius, inducing formation of single wall carbon nanotubes on the silicon face.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein no catalyst is used in inducing the formation of the single wall carbon nanotubes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vacuum is about a pressure of less than 10⁻

9 Torr.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature is about 1650 degrees Celsius.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of bonding the single wall carbon nanotubes to a target wafer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of bonding is promoted by one of thermal annealing, chemical reaction and physical adhesion of the nanotubes to the target wafer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

suspending the single wall carbon nanotubes in a solution; and

dispersing the single wall carbon nanotubes on a target wafer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of dispersing comprises one of random dispersion and self-assembly.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein self-assembly comprises the steps of:

attaching a coupler to each end of at least one nanotube; and

providing a corresponding receptor on the target wafer for receiving the coupler.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes form a network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network is arranged according to a structure and a symmetry of the silicon carbide semiconductor.

12. A method for growing single-walled nanotubes comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate comprising carbon; and

annealing the substrate in a vacuum at a temperature of at least about 1350 degrees Celsius, inducing formation of single wall carbon nanotubes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of patterning the substrate to form patches.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of influencing the chirality of a grown nanotube according to a direction of patterning.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the patterning is by one of lithography and focused electron beam patterning.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate is one of a silicon carbide wafer, substrate of silicon carbide micro crystals, and graphite.

17. A method for growing a network of ordered single-walled nanotubes comprising the steps of:

providing a silicon carbide semiconductor wafer comprising a silicon face and a carbon face; and

annealing the silicon carbide semiconductor wafer in a vacuum at a temperature of at least about 1350 degrees Celsius, inducing formation of a network of single wall carbon nanotubes on the silicon face arranged according to a symmetry and a structure of the silicon carbide semiconductor.