Substrate for carbon nanotube growth and method for manufacturing the same

• US 9,289,753 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Toshiyuki, Tokune, Toshio, Ohta, Masahiro, Kato, Ryogo, Shima, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Brayton, John
• Application Number:
  US14/095,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.12, 204/192.15, 502/300, 502/326, 502/334, 502/336, 502/338, 502/339, 502/439, 429/487, 429/524, 429/527, 429/529, 429/532
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/78 with alkali- or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0244 Coatings comprising several layers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/342 of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields, e.g. for magnetic separation
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/18 on other inorganic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5853 Oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5893 Mixing of deposited material

Abstract

Provided is a substrate for carbon nanotube growth in which no metal particles as a catalyst aggregates and a method for manufacturing the substrate. A substrate for carbon nanotube growth 1 includes a base plate 2, a catalyst 3, a form-defining material layer 4 which allows the catalyst 3 to be dispersed and arranged, and a covering layer 5 which has a metal oxide to cover the catalyst. A method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth 1 includes a step of sputtering on a base plate 2 a metal which forms a catalyst 3 and oxidizing the surface of the metal, a step of sputtering a form-defining material on the base plate 2, and a step of further sputtering on the form-defining material a metal which forms a catalyst 3 and oxidizing the surface of the metal.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth comprising a base plate and a catalyst disposed on the base plate, the method comprising:

a primary metal sputtering step of sputtering on the base plate a first metal which forms the catalyst;

a primary oxidizing step of, after the primary metal sputtering step, oxidizing a surface of the first metal to form a first metal oxide layer on the surface of the first metal;

a form-defining material sputtering step of, after the primary oxidizing step, sputtering on the base plate a form-defining material which defines a form which allows the catalyst to be dispersed and arranged;

a secondary metal sputtering step of, after the form-defining material sputtering step, sputtering on the form-defining material a second metal which forms the catalyst; and

a secondary oxidizing step of, after the secondary metal sputtering step, oxidizing a surface of the catalyst in which the first metal and the second metal is integrated to form a catalyst oxide layer on the surface of the catalyst,

wherein the secondary metal sputtering step causes the form-defining material to reach an area below the first metal, including the first metal oxide layer on the surface of the first metal, thereby being integrated with the base plate.

2. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the form-defining material sputtering step, the secondary metal sputtering step, and the secondary oxidizing step are repeated a plurality of times.

3. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the first metal and the second metal which form the catalyst consist of a transition metal.

4. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the first metal and the second metal which form the catalyst consist of an iron group element.

5. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 4, wherein the iron group element is Fe.

6. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the base plate consists of MgO (100) single crystal.

7. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the form-defining material is the same material as the base plate.

8. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the form-defining material is MgO.

9. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the secondary oxidizing step prevents the catalyst from aggregating and controls a plane direction of a crystal structure of the catalyst.

10. The method for manufacturing a substrate for carbon nanotube growth according to claim 1, wherein the form-defining material is sputtered at room temperature, whereas the first metal and the second metal which form the catalyst are sputtered at a temperature greater than room temperature at which the form defining material reaches an area below the first metal, including the first metal oxide layer on the surface of the first metal, thereby being integrated with the base plate.