SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BROAD-AREA SYNTHESIS OF ALIGNED AND DENSELY-PACKED CARBON NANOTUBES.

摘要

Broad-area synthesis of aligned and densely-packed carbon nanotubes (CNT) is disclosed. CNT (13) are repeatedly synthesized and then drawn together to locally and globally achieve increased packing densities. The process synthesizes an aligned, relatively sparse forest (11) of CNT on a catalyzed sacrificial substrate (15). The catalyst is removed, thereby releasing the CNT but leaving them in place on the substrate. A liquid-induced collapse produces regions (21) of more densely packed CNT and regions (23) where no CNT remain. A fresh catalyst (31) is deposited on the exposed regions of the substrate and a sparse forest (33) of aligned CNT is regrown in these regions. The CNT also may form on the tops of the densified regions of CNT. The top-growth CNT may be removed or incorporated into the solid such that the solid is expanded axially. This process, e.g., growth then densification, is repeated to form a near-continuous solid of aligned and densely packed CNT.