US Patent 7625766 - Step wall CNT growth

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7625766.html

CVD fabrication of carbon nanotubes on a substrate most often includes the growth of vertically oriented nanotubes from a catalytic particle. This patent from Micron Technology teaches an alternative method based on side wall growth which generates horizontally oriented carbon nanotubes and which may make alignment of CNT devices easier. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of forming a carbon nanotube, comprising:

forming a step wall over a substrate;

providing catalytic material of different composition than the step wall proximate the step wall; and

growing a carbon nanotube from the catalytic material along and in contact with the step wall of different composition from the catalytic material and to be elongated generally parallel to the substrate.