Growth characterization of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers on top of TiN buffer layer for nanoelectromechanical devices

Paper in proceeding, 2010

Initial growth of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) from Ni catalyst seeds in the range of 40 to 100 nm as fabricated using hole-mask colloidal lithography on top of reactively sputtered TiN is studied. We observe that the initial growth conditions could cause a growth mode transition from base-type to tip-type. We attribute this transition to a change in the crystallographic orientation of the Ni catalyst seeds induced by initial growth conditions. A convenient method to deposit stoichiometric TiN films is also presented.