Effect of Annealing Temperature on Deposition of Ni Metal Catalysts by Evaporation Method as a Initial Study of CNT Growth
Ajeng Eliyana (a), Momang A Yusuf (a), Kurniati Abidin (a), Aveni C Keintjem (a), Jasruddin D Malago (b), Euis Sustini (a) and Toto Winata (a)
(a) Department of Physics, Physics of Electronic Materials Research Division, PECVD Lab, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40312, Indonesia
(b) Department of Physics, Physics of Material Lab, State University of Makassar, Jl. AP.Pettarani, Makassar 90222, Indonesia
Abstract
Currently carbon nanotubes (CNT) are one of the interesting topics of nanotechnology in the research world. One application is the solar cell which is of concern to photovoltaic researchers, because of the uniqueness of its characterization, namely its wide optical absorption, low resistance and high charge-carrying mobility. In addition CNT has a very large electrical conductivity making it easier to conduct electricity, because it has the potential to increase the efficiency of thin film solar cells. One of the optimization of CNT growth has been done on the growth of metal nanocatalysts or metal catalysts, because it plays an important role in the process of forming CNT tubes. In this research, a preliminary study of CNT thin film deposition was carried out by growing a Nickel (Ni) metal catalyst on a SiO2 glass substrate by evaporation method for 25 seconds and annealing process with temperature variations of 400 0C, 500 0C, and 600 0C for 4 hours. Morphological characterization of Ni metal catalysts using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Metal catalysts are obtained in the form of grains (clusters) that are not homogeneous and still close between one grain to another. The distribution of grain in samples with an annealing 400 0C has an average diameter of 89.2 nm, while the distribution of grain at annealing temperature of 600 0C has an average diameter of 201 nm. The diamater obtained is greater, because the addition of annealing temperature causes the thermal vibrational energy to be larger which allows small grains to disappear and merge with large grains so that the size of the grains gets bigger.
Keywords: Metal catalyst, Nickel, evaporation, SEM, CNT
Topic: Nano Science and Technology