A method of synthesizing and controlling the internal diameters, conical angles, and morphology of tubular carbon nano / micro structures. Different morphologies can be synthesized included but not limited to cones, straight tubes, nozzles, cone-on-tube (funnels), tube-on-cone, cone-tube-cone, n-staged structures, multijunctioned tubes, Y-junctions,
dumbbell (pinched morphology) and capsules. The process is based on changing the
wetting behavior of a low melting metals such as
gallium,
indium, and aluminum with carbon using a growth environment of different
gas phase chemistries. The described carbon tubular morphologies can be synthesized using any kind of
gas phase excitation such as, but not limited to,
microwave excitation,
hot filament excitation, thermal excitation and
Radio Frequency (RF) excitations. The depositions area is only limited by the substrate area in the equipment used and not limited by the process. The internal diameters of the carbon tubular structures can be varied from a few nm to as high as about 20 microns. The wall thickness is about 10-20 nm. The carbon tubular structures can be formed open on both ends are directly applicable to micro-
fluidics.
Gallium required for the growth of the carbon tubes can be supplied either as a thin film on the substrate or could be supplied through the
gas phase with different precursors such as Tri-methyl
gallium. Seamless Y-junctions with no internal obstructions can be synthesized without the need of templates. Multi-channeled junctions can also be synthesized without any internal obstructions.
Gallium that partially fills the carbon structures can be removed from the tubes by simple heating in vacuum at temperature above 600°.