Abstract: Carbon nanotubes were synthesized on silicon substrates coated with NiFe films of different thickness by negative bias-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition at different negative bias and pressure, and their growth was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the bent and aligned carbon nanotubes are respectively grown without and with glow discharge, indicating that glow discharge plays an important role for alignment growth of carbon nanotubes. Due to occurrence of glow discharge, a strong electric filed is established near the substrate, where its strength relative to the field without glow discharge can be enhanced two order of the magnitude. In the work, the effect of glow discharge on alignment growth of carbon nanotubes was studied in detail.

Key words: Carbon nanotubes were synthesized on silicon substrates coated with NiFe films of different thickness by negative bias-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition at different negative bias and pressure, and their growth was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the bent and aligned carbon nanotubes are respectively grown without and with glow discharge, indicating that glow discharge plays an important role for alignment growth of carbon nanotubes. Due to occurrence of glow discharge, a strong electric filed is established near the substrate, where its strength relative to the field without glow discharge can be enhanced two order of the magnitude. In the work, the effect of glow discharge on alignment growth of carbon nanotubes was studied in detail.