화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.104, No.10, 2193-2196, 2000
Patterned growth of well-aligned carbon nanotubes: A soft-lithographic approach
Using microcontact printing (mu CP) and micromolding techniques, we have prepared micropatterns of carbon nanotubes aligned in a direction normal to the substrate surface. While the mu CP process involves the region-specific transfer of self-assembling monolayers (SAMs) of alkylsiloxane onto a quartz substrate and subsequent adsorption of polymer chains in the SAM-free regions, the micromolding method allows the formation of polymer patterns through solvent evaporation from a precoated thin layer of polymer solution confined between a quartz plate and a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer mold. The polymer patterns formed in both cases were then carbonized into carbon black for region-specific growth of the aligned nanotubes in the polymer-free regions by pyrolysis of iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) under Ar/H-2 atmosphere at 800-1100 degrees C. Micropatterns of aligned nanotubes thus prepared have resolutions down to 0.8 mu m, suitable for fabrication of various electronic and photonic devices.