Method of growing a nanotube including passing a carbon-based gas through first and second openings of a tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131989-B2
Application number	US-201615072386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A method includes providing a substrate including a tube with a first opening a second opening, depositing a metal film onto a portion of the tube near the first opening, and growing a carbon nanotube by passing a carbon-based gas through the tube and metal film. The gas enters the tube through the second opening and exits the tube through the first opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a substrate, the substrate comprising:
a first surface,
a second surface opposite the first surface, and
a plurality of tubes each with a first opening at the first surface and a second opening at the second surface;

depositing a catalyst onto a portion of the tube near the first surface; and
growing a plurality of nanotubes, comprising passing a carbon-based gas through the tubes, the carbon-based gas entering the respective tube through the respective second opening and exiting the tube through the respective first opening,
wherein a bridge connects at least two of the nanotubes, the bride being comprised of carbon from the gas.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing the catalyst over the entire first surface and partially into the tubes.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising depositing a layer of graphene over the catalyst prior to the growing the nanotubes.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
rotating the catalyst-deposited substrate; and
depositing additional catalyst onto the rotating catalyst-deposited substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the catalyst comprises depositing the catalyst at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubes.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising rotating the substrate during the depositing of the catalyst.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a diameter of the nanotubes comprising controlling a diameter of the tubes; and
controlling a thickness of the nanotubes comprising controlling an amount of the catalyst deposited during the depositing.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising wetting of the catalyst.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising treating the entire first surface of the substrate to enhance the wetting of the catalyst.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing additional catalyst to immerse the growing nanotubes.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing a catalyst-replenishing gas through the respective tube,
the catalyst-replenishing gas entering the respective tube through the respective first opening and exiting the tube through the respective second opening.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the catalyst by inductive heating without heating the substrate by inductive heating.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the nanotubes is independent of a thickness of the nanotubes.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the nanotubes comprise a plurality of walls, and the diameter of the respective nanotube corresponds to a diameter of the respective tube and the thickness of the respective nanotube corresponds to a number of the walls.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a diameter of the nanotubes is independent of a thickness of the nanotubes.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is anchored to the substrate chemically and by a texture of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridge is comprised of a same material as the nanotubes.

18. A method comprising:
providing a substrate, the substrate comprising:
a first surface,
a second surface opposite the first surface, and

a tube with a first opening at the first surface and a second opening at the second surface;
depositing a catalyst onto a portion of the tube near the first surface; and
growing a nanotube, comprising passing a carbon-based gas through the tube, the carbon-based gas entering the tube through the second opening and exiting the tube through the respective first opening,
wherein the substrate further comprises a plurality of the tubes and the growing comprises growing a plurality of the nanotubes,
the method further comprises depositing the catalyst over the entire first surface and partially into the tubes, and
a bridge connects the nanotubes, the bride having a hexagonal structure.

19. A method of growing a plurality of nanotubes, comprising:
providing a substrate having a plurality of tubes; and
passing a carbon-based gas through the tubes,
a bridge having a hexagonal structure connecting the nanotubes.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
depositing a catalyst on a surface of the substrate and in the tubes.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Perez De Leon Ignacio Maria

Classifications

• C23C16/26 Primary

  Deposition of carbon only · CPC title

• B01J23/70

  of the iron group metals or copper · CPC title

• C01B32/162

  characterised by catalysts · CPC title

• B01J37/0217

  Pretreatment of the substrate before coating · CPC title

• C23C16/045

  Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates · CPC title