Patent ID: 8137763

Claim:
A process for preparing a catalyst structure, comprising: forming a continuous layer of a catalytic material on a surface of a substrate; and forming the catalyst structure by separating the continuous layer of the catalytic material into droplet-shaped bodies of the catalytic material adhered to the substrate; wherein: the continuous layer of the catalytic material is in the form of a film; the surface of the substrate has a surface tension lower than a surface tension of the continuous layer of the catalytic material when the continuous layer of the catalytic material is formed on the surface of the substrate; the catalytic material is a material suitable for catalyzing formation of carbon nanotubes or carbon nanofibers; the continuous layer of the catalytic material is formed by making a sequence of deposits of the catalytic material on to the surface of the substrate to form continuous sublayers of the catalytic material separated by waiting phases under a vacuum or in a controlled atmosphere; and the deposits of the catalytic material are made by exposing the substrate to a source of evaporated catalytic material and the waiting phases are carried out by shielding the substrate from the source of evaporated catalytic material.