Patent ID: 8461027

Claim:
A process of producing nanostructures ( 1 ) on a metal oxide substrate ( 2 ), comprising the steps of: a) forming metal aggregates ( 3 ) on said metal oxide substrate ( 2 ), b) vapour phase growing nanostructures ( 1 ) on said metal oxide substrate ( 2 ) covered with metal aggregates ( 3 ), said substrate being heated in the presence of one or more precursor gases, and the vapour phase growth of nanostructures ( 1 ) being catalyzed by the metal aggregates ( 3 ), wherein: the step a) of forming metal aggregates comprises an operation of reducing the surface of the metal oxide substrate by means of reducing plasma treatment, causing the formation of metal aggregate droplets ( 3 ) on the surface of said metal oxide substrate ( 2 ), and said steps of a) forming metal aggregates and b) growing nanostructures are carried out in series in a single and same plasma reactor chamber ( 4 ), the nanostructure growth, by CVD or PECVD, being made directly on the metal aggregate droplets ( 3 ).