Title: Synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and diamond films on Cu substrates for use in high-power electronic devices

Authors: Nguyen Van Chuc, Ngo Thi Thanh Tam, Nguyen Van Tu, Phan Ngoc Hong, Than Xuan Tinh, Tran Tien Dat, Phan Ngoc Minh

Addresses: Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' College of Technology, Vietnam National University, 144 Xuan Thuy Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam. ' Laboratory for Carbon Nanomaterials, National Key Laboratory of Electronic Materials and Devices, Institute of Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract: Currently, most of the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) and diamond films are mainly synthesised on flat silicon (Si) substrate. However, to achieve thermal dissipation in high-power electronic devices (HPEDs), the VA-CNTs and diamond films need to be attached to thermal dissipation metal substrates (like Cu, Ag, Al, etc.). In this paper, the fabrication process of the VA-CNTs and diamond films on Cu substrate is reported in detail. The VA-CNTs were synthesised by the thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. The VA-CNTs on Cu substrates were fabricated by two different methods: directly growing the VA-CNTs using thin catalytic metal layers such as Fe/Al or Cr/Al as a catalyst; transferring the VA-CNTs film that was pre-grown on Si substrate to Cu substrate. The diamond films were also directly grown on the Cu substrate by microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD). The grown VA-CNTs and diamond films were tested as the thermal dissipation media on a 0.5W InGaN LED chip. The VA-CNTs and diamond films greatly increased input current of the LED by more than 500 mA and 350 mA without reaching saturation. This is higher compared with that of the device packaged using normal commercial silver thermal paste. Initial experiment results on the LED demonstrated that the VA-CNTs and diamond films greatly improve the light|s output power and that they are optimal choices for the thermal dissipation of HPED.

Keywords: vertically aligned CNTs; carbon nanotubes; diamond films; thermal dissipation; high-power electronic devices; nanotechnology; copper substrate; thermal CVD; chemical vapour deposition; LED chips.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2011.038198

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2011 Vol.8 No.3/4/5, pp.188 - 200

Published online: 21 Jan 2011 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article