Growth and Characterization of Carbon Nanopearls on a Si Substrate by CVD Process

Carbon nanopearls have been found to form on a Si substrate when grown at 850°C, using the chemical vapor deposition process (CVD). An acetylene carbon source and a Ni catalyst are the main ingredients for this procedure. The nickel was prepared and deposited on the substrate in two ways: (1) sonication and dispersion in a methanol solution, and (2) reduction of size via a reverse-micelle technique with a supercritical fluid deposition technique. The resulting carbon nanopearls were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). These tools enabled us to observe the structure, size, and absorption. Characterization of the carbon nanopearls is imperative for understanding of the structure and properties of these nanomaterials.