Abstract Submitted to the    NANOTUBE'04 Conference:

We have grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a dc arc discharge process and have investigated the influence of the shape changing of carbon cathode electrode. Without catalytic metal powder in carbon anode electrode, we used small, medium, large and Ni deposited square flat carbon cathode electrodes for preparing CNTs. The prepared CNTs were observed by the scanning electron microscope, thermogravity analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and tunneling electron microscope. The experimental results showed that yield and structural types of CNTs were varied by the shape changing of carbon cathode electrode. From this result, growth mechanism of CNTs is discussed thermodynamically and the probable methods of large-scale CNTs fabrication process will be suggested.