Dendrimer-assisted controlled growth of carbon nanotubes for enhanced thermal interface conductance

Placidus B. Amama, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Baratunde A. Cola, Birck Nanotechnology Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Timothy D. Sands, Purdue University
Xianfan Xu, Birck Nanotechnology Center, School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University
Timothy Fisher, Purdue University

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with systematically varied diameter distributions and defect densities were reproducibly grown from a modified catalyst structure templated in an amine-terminated fourth-generation poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Thermal interface resistances of the vertically oriented MWCNT arrays as determined by a photoacoustic technique reveal a strong correlation with the quality as assessed by Raman spectroscopy. This study contributes not only to the development of an active catalyst via a wet chemical route for structure-controlled MWCNT growth, but also to the development of efficient and low-cost MWCNT-based thermal interface materials with thermal interface resistances 10 mm2 KW−1.