Methane, filament growth

In order to test these assumptions, they investigated the effects of vertical gas jets (hydrogen with 0.5% methane and acetylene) blown through the filament array with a velocity of about 1000 cm s and striking the substrate vertically. With methane, maximum growth rates of several pmh were found at the stagnation point of the jet while in the case of acetylene a growth rate depression was observed at this point. 

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) thin films were synthesized at CSEM (Neuchatel, Switzerland) by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique (HF CVD) on p-type, low-resistivity (l-3mQcm), single-crystal, silicon wafers (Siltronix). The temperature of the filament was between 2440 and 2560 °C and that of the substrate was monitored at 830 °C. The reactive gas was a mixture of 1% methane in hydrogen, containing trimethylboron as a boron source (1-3 ppm, with respect to H2). The reaction chamber was supplied with the gas mixture at a flow rate of 51 min giving a growth rate of 0.24 pm h for the diamond layer. The obtained diamond film has a thickness of about 1 pm ( 10%) and a resistivity of 15mQcm ( 30%). This HF CVD process produces columnar, random textured, polycrystalline films [9]. 

The formation of filamentous carbon deposits on transition metal catalysts (Fe, Co, Ni) and their alloys have been investigated in some detail over the past two decades.21,38-40 Among them, nickel is the most promising candidate since it forms carbon deposits at temperatures as low as 723-823 K using CH4, C2H6 or CO + H2 feeds. Carbon fibres are usually produced during these reactions. Typical forms of the carbon produced from CH4 decomposition on silica-supported Ni catalysts are shown in Fig. 7.1. The pyrolysis of methane at temperatures somewhat lower than 873 K produces fish-bone type nanofibres.41 The Ni metal particles are present at the tip of each carbon fibre, and catalyse methane decomposition as well as growth... 

Li et reported a novel method of obtaining nickel oxide particles with controlled crystalline size and fibrous shape, highly dispersed on in situ produced carbon, inhibiting further growth of Ni particles. On the other hand, Ni/CFC (filamentous carbon) catalysts were shown to have sufficient efficiency in low-temperature methane decomposition. Thus, the use of CFG, whose textural properties can be modified by their activation with Hg or COg, opens up the possibility of its application as a support in heterogeneous catalysis. Methane decomposition over Ni-loaded activated carbon (AC) was also investigated. XRD results showed absence of NiO with only Ni metal crystallites formed in the catalyst even if calcined in Ar, which eliminates the inevitable reduction step with other supports. However, the formation of NisC during the process leads to deactivation of the catalysts. Filamentous carbon formation is... 

Lin T, et al. Compositional mapping of the argon - methane - hydrogen system for polycrystaUine to nanocrystalline diamond film growth in a hot-filament chemical vapor deposition system Appl Phys Lett 2000. 

In order to imderstand these differences in the nature of the film, growth rate and thickness profile, we characterize plasma conditions (gas temperature in plasma filament, electron density, EVDF, etc.) in both cases. Using determined plasma parameters, we calculate production rates of atoms and excited molecules, simulated fluxes of excited chemical species to the inner surface of the tube, and simulated the chemical kinetics. We correlate the differences in the chemical kinetics on the differences in the film properties. OES, microphotography, current-voltage measurements and numerical simulations are used for the characterization of plasma conditions. Since the chemical kinetics depends on plasma conditions, plasma conditions and their differences between methane as well as acetylene cases are discussed first. Following this, differences in chemical kinetics will be discussed. 

In principle, carbon nanotubes can be grown from any gaseous hydrocarbons or CO, onto Fe, Co, or Ni particles dispersed on a substrate under appropriate reaction conditions. Higher temperatures and slower growth rates favor graphitic filament formation, while lower temperatures and fast rates lead to nongraphitic forms (Baker and Harris, 1978). Beside Fe, Co, and Ni, filaments can also be formed on other metals such as Pt and Cu. Acetylene is among the most reactive hydrocarbon precursors. Unsaturated hydrocarbons like propylene and butadiene are more reactive than the saturated hydrocarbons such as methane and... 

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