US Patent 7638383 - CNT growth using faceted catalysts

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7638383.html

This patent from Intel teaches a method to control the size and growth direction of carbon nanotubes by using a faceted Ge dot as a catalyst material during CVD. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method comprising:

forming a self-assembled catalytic dot having a plurality of facets on a substrate for a microelectronic device;

growing a carbon nanotube on one of the facets of the dot to extend therefrom, wherein the dot is doped to have a growth promoting layer on the facet on which the nanotube is grown and is doped to have a growth inhibiting layer on the others of the plurality of facets.