Effects of metal buffer layers on the hot filament chemical vapor deposition of nanostructured carbon films

Examined how the addition of different metal buffer layers underneath the catalytic-metal layer affected the growth of nanostructured carbon films which were the composite films of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanoclusters. Even when the sputter-deposition of catalytic-metal layers and the HFCVD of carbon films were carried out under identical conditions, different buffer layers resulted in significant difference in the microscopic structure of carbon films. SEM and AFM investigation revealed that the difference in the morphology of metal catalyst was not the sole cause for the observed diverse growth of nanostructured carbon films