Synthesis of Carbon Nanocoils by Two-step Growth Method Using Microwave Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Carbon nanocoils (CNCs) have been synthesized by a two-step growth method using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD). At the first growth step, Si nanorods are grown on the Si substrate covered with a PtPd thin film of 2 nm thickness. At the second growth step, an Fe thin film of 1 nm thickness is deposited on the nanorods and the CNCs are successfully synthesized by MPECVD. The CNCs are grown together with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and the yield of CNCs is about 10%. The mechanism underlying coil formation is explained by the anisotropy of incident ion flux into the deposited Fe catalyst on the nanorods.