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  Carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing carbon nanotubeRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry Of Inorganic Compounds, Carbon Or Compound Thereof, Elemental Carbon, Fiber, Fabric, Or TextileThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070031317. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus and a carbon nanotube manufacturing method. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In recent years, carbon nanotubes are receiving much attention as for electrode materials such as FED (field emission display) electrodes, capacitor electrodes, and battery electrodes, as well as functional materials for hydrogen storage. [0003] In particular, when an electric field is applied to carbon nanotubes disposed on a conductive substrate perpendicularly, the field concentrates to the tips of carbon nanotubes because the carbon nanotube has a very small diameter, attracts electrons to the tips of carbon nanotubes, ultimately electrons are emitted from the tips without difficulty. In addition, if the electric resistance of the substrate is low, the electrons which are depleted by the emission can be easily supplied to increase the amount of electron emission, facilitating the electron emission to be maintained. [0004] Conventionally, as a method of aligned growth of the carbon nanotubes vertically on a substrate, there is known a method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication JP-A-2003-12312, in which a silicon substrate having iron catalyst vapor deposited on the surface thereof is heated while the substrate is being dipped in an alcohol solution such as methanol or ethanol, causing highly aligned carbon nanotubes to be precipitated and grown. [0005] In accordance with the above patent disclosure, however, a silicon substrate, while being dipped in an alcohol solution, must be heated to approximately 900 degrees centigrade to synthesize and grow carbon nanotubes, and the alcohol solution has to be kept at a temperature below its boiling point. In addition, since a large quantity of alcohol solution is used, it is indispensable to sufficiently take care of the maintenance and control of the carbon nanotube synthesizing apparatus, in order to prevent the explosion and fire outbreak caused by the mixing of vaporized alcohol with the air. Since the growth direction of the carbon nanotubes is controlled by the temperature gradient at the surface of the silicon substrate, the temperature thereof must be appropriately controlled in order to allow a well aligned growth. [0006] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus and a a carbon nanotube manufacturing method which require easier maintenance and control and which allows the highly aligned growth of carbon nanotubes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus (1000, 2000) including an aligned growth means (e.g., an aligned growth apparatus 300) for allowing a well aligned growth of a plurality of carbon nanotubes (4) on a growth substrate (50, 55) in a generally vertical direction, [0008] wherein said aligned growth means comprises: [0009] an ionizing means (e.g., a negative ion generator 10) for ionizing a vaporized gas of a predetermined carbon-containing compound; [0010] an electric field generating means (e.g., an electric field generator 20) for generating an electric field; and [0011] a heating means (e.g., a high-frequency heater 30) for heating said growth substrate disposed within the electric field generated by said electric field generating means, and [0012] wherein said aligned growth means causes the vaporized gas of said carbon-containing compound, the vaporized gas being negatively charged by said ionizing means, to pass through the electric field generated by said electric field generating means, causing the vaporized gas of said carbon-containing compound to come into contact with said growth substrate. [0013] In accordance with the carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus causes the vaporized gas of a predetermined carbon-containing compound, the vaporized gas being ionized by an ionizing means, to pass through the electric field generated by an electric field generating means, causing the vaporized gas of the carbon-containing compound to come into contact with a growth substrate. The growth substrate at this stage has been heated by a heating means, so that the vaporized gas of the carbon-containing compound brought into contact with the growth substrate can have a higher reactivity due to the heat, is pyrolyzed into water, hydrogen, and carbon, so that the carbons form the carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes formed in this manner grow in good alignment with the direction of the electric field due to the effect of the electric field, allowing the well aligned carbon nanotubes to be manufactured. [0014] Therefore, well aligned carbon nanotubes can be manufactured with easier maintenance and control than the previous method of formation of carbon nanotubes by dipping a silicon substrate within an alcohol solution. [0015] In the carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, [0016] said growth substrate is preferably a substrate with a catalyst film (3) formed on the surface of a silicon layer (e.g., a silicon film 2, a silicon substrate 5) comprising the silicon or a silicon compound. If the growth substrate is a substrate with a catalyst film formed on the surface of the silicon layer having the silicon or silicon compound, a well aligned growth of carbon nanotubes thereon is suitably obtained. [0017] The silicon and silicon compound are materials for suitably growing carbon nanotubes, so that the carbon nanotubes can be suitably grown thereon. Some materials for the silicon layer includes silicon (Si) and silicon compound, for example, silicon carbide. [0018] The catalyst film is a material which is necessary for the aligned growth of carbon nanotubes and which promotes the growth as well. For the catalyst film, some materials such as iron, iron oxide, cobalt, and nickel, may be used. [0019] Also in the carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, [0020] said ionizing means comprises a negative ion generator (10), [0021] said negative ion generator provides electrons to the vaporized gas of said carbon-containing compound, to thereby negatively charge the vaporized gas of said carbon-containing compound. If the ionizing means is a negative ion generator, because the negative ion generator provides electrons to the vaporized gas of the carbon-containing compound, allowing the vaporized gas of the carbon-containing compound to be negatively charged, the vaporized gas of the carbon-containing compound can be negatively charged in a much secured manner. Continue reading... Full patent description for Carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Carbon nanotube manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing carbon nanotube patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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