A method of vertically aligning pure carbon nanotubes on a large glass or
silicon substrate at a low temperature using a low pressure DC thermal
chemical vapor deposition method is provided. In this method, catalytic
decomposition with respect to hydro-carbon gases is performed in two
steps. Basically, an existing thermal chemical vapor deposition method
using hydro-carbon gases such as acetylene, ethylene, methane or propane
is used. To be more specific, the hydro-carbon gases are primarily
decomposed at a low temperature of 400-500.degree. C. by passing the
hydro-carbon gases through a mesh-structure catalyst which is made of Ni,
Fe, Co, Y, Pd, Pt, Au or an alloy of two or more of these materials.
Secondly, the catalytically- and thermally-decomposed hydro-carbon gases
pass through the space between a carbon nanotube growing substrate and an
electrode substrate made of Ni, Fe, Co, Y, Pd, Pt, Au or an alloy of two
or more of these materials or an electrode substrate on which Ni, Fe, Co,
Y, Pd, Pt, Au or an alloy of two or more of these materials is thinly
deposited by sputtering or electron-beam evaporation, the space to which
DC voltage has been applied.