Growth of well-aligned carbon nanotube structures in successive layers.

Layered structures of well-aligned carbon nanotubes were grown using three variations of vapor-phase chemical vapor deposition growth processes. The reactants (typically ferrocene and benzene) were introduced either directly to a heated furnace or carried into the furnace by evaporation or spray pyrolysis in an argon flow. Thick mats of densely packed, well-aligned nanotubes were produced when the reactants were continuously introduced to the reaction; however, when the reactant flow was interrupted, the pauses allowed growth to stop and then restart as a new layer.