Patent ID: 8324087

Claim:
A method for forming nanotubes, comprising: forming a base layer of a transition metal on a substrate; and heating the substrate with the base layer in a mixture of gases to grow nanotubes on the formed base layer, wherein the nanotubes comprise aligned nanotubes; and transferring the aligned nanotubes to a target substrate, wherein transferring the aligned nanotubes comprises: forming a sacrificial layer on top of the aligned nanotubes; applying an adhesive layer to attach to the sacrificial layer; lifting the adhesive layer to remove the adhesive layer, the sacrificial layer attached to the adhesive layer, and the aligned nanotubes attached to the sacrificial layer from the base layer and the underlying substrate; attaching the adhesive layer, the sacrificial layer attached to the adhesive layer, and the aligned nanotubes attached to the sacrificial layer as a whole onto the target substrate; subsequently removing the adhesive layer to leave the sacrificial layer and the aligned nanotubes attached to the sacrificial layer on the target substrate; and removing the sacrificial layer to leave the aligned nanotubes on the target substrate.