GROWTH OF CARBON NANOTUBES USING METAL-FREE NANOPARTICLES

摘要

The present invention provides a method for forming at least one carbon nanotube (16) by using metal-free catalyst nanoparticles (14), for example Si or Ge comprising nanoparticles. The method uses the step of decomposing a carbon source gas to form carbon fragments which then recombine at the metal-free catalyst nanoparticles (14) to grow carbon nanotubes (16). The method according to embodiments of the invention leads to carbon nanotubes (16) which do not comprise metal impurities.