Patent ID: 8153942

Claim:
An apparatus for synthesizing nanostructures, comprising: (a) a chamber having a first end, an opposite, second end, and a body portion defined therebetween and defining a cavity with an axis; (b) a heating member formed on the exterior surface of the chamber for heating the chamber so as to create a reaction zone in the cavity; (c) a susceptor having a body portion defining a recess with a bottom surface therein, and placed in the reaction zone; and (d) a semiconductor plate having a film of a catalyst at least partially covering a first surface of the semiconductor plate, and placed in the recess and supported by the bottom surface of the susceptor such that a second surface of the semiconductor plate, which is opposite to the first surface of the semiconductor plate, is in contact with the bottom surface of the susceptor, wherein the semiconductor plate having a film of a catalyst and the susceptor are adapted such that when a gas having hydrocarbon passes through the cavity of the chamber, the interaction of the gas having hydrocarbon with the film of a catalyst produces carbon nanostructures.