Channelling and induced defects at ion-bombarded aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes

A detailed investigation of ion channelling and defect production for a highly-ordered array of multi-wall carbon nanotubes is presented. The effects of argon ion bombardment (0.25–5 keV) carried out either parallel (top) or perpendicular (side) to their axis, have been studied by Raman, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Raman spectra provided evidence of channelling of the Ar+ ions observed for top bombardment along the whole 180 μm carbon nanotube length, while the penetration length is limited to the first 10 μm when the ions impinge from the side. The nature of defects, determined through the spectral fingerprints of the C 1s core level as a function of energy and flux, unveils a distorted sp3-like bonding increase and the π-excitation decrease till quenching. Dangling bond states due to displaced carbon atoms become significant only at beam energies higher than 0.25 keV and high flux. These results on anisotropic channelling and selective defects creation open new perspectives in the application of highly-ordered arrays of multi-wall carbon nanotubes as anisotropic detectors.