Patterning of metallic nanoparticles for the growth of carbon nanotubes

We report a straightforward method of patterning large ordered arrays of metallic nanoparticles using existing semiconductor processing technology. The topographies of contact holes created on full 200 mm wafers serve as templates to pattern Ni or Co nanoparticles. Over a large range of synthesis conditions, these patterned nanoparticles are demonstrated to successfully catalyse the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) selectively in the patterned areas of the wafer. This approach to catalyst deposition is scalable and fully compatible with existing semiconductor processing technology. Thus, it can be exploited for a variety of applications where confinement of materials in nanometric domains is necessary. These results represent a further step towards the integration of CNTs into conventional Si-based technology.