Carbon nanostructure growth in an inductively coupled plasma

Summary form only given, as follows. Carbon nanostructures have been grown in a modified GEC Reference Cell. The inductively coupled plasma is generated with 500 watts of 13.56 RF power applied to a five turn coil. A second 500 watt RF power supply is used to bias the substrate. The carbon nanostructures were grown on silicon substrates covered with 100E-200 E Fe thin films, which serve as a catalyst. Argon at 100 mT is used as a buffer gas to sustain the inductively coupled mode. Varying ratios of CH/sub 4/ and H/sub 2/ are added to the gas as needed by the growth mechanisms. Several morphologies were obtained. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM are used to examine the samples. Growth morphologies as a function of plasma and reactor parameters are discussed.