Patterned Growth of Boron Nitride Nanotubes by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition

For the first time, patterned growth of boron nitride nanotubes is achieved by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) at 1200 °C using MgO, Ni, or Fe as the catalysts, and an Al 2 O 3 diffusion barrier as underlayer. The as-grown BNNTs are clean, vertically aligned, and have high crystallinity. Near band-edge absorption ∼6.0 eV is detected, without significant sub-band absorption centers. Electronic transport measurement confirms that these BNNTs are perfect insulators, applicable for future deep-UV photoelectronic devices and high-power electronics.