Iron catalytic nanoparticle formation

ME574(W13) TEAM 4

Home

Introduction

Theory

Numerical Method

Modeling

Result

Conclusion

Code/Ref.

Introduction

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNT), there has been number of studies on catalyst size dependence of CNT in the thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth process. According to those studies, the transition metal catalyst particles, such as Fe, Ni and their alloys, plays an important role to decide the diameter of CNT (See Ref 3).

In CVD CNT growth, thin catalytic iron film is deposited on the substrate (e.g. by sputtering). The film is annealed inside the furnace at high temperature. During this annealing, the film changes to iron particles. Then the CNT is grown by the introducing a carbon gas flow.

Here our study focuses on the formation of iron particles from thin film during annealing. We use a simplified 2D surface to model the development of one specific isolated iron depending on various experimental conditions.