Carbon Nanotube-Yttrium Iron Garnet Nanohybrid Synthesized Via Chemical Vapor Deposition and its Potential Application in Fabricated Screen-Printed Patch Antenna

Carbon nanotube-Yttrium iron garnet (CNT-YIG) nanohybrid has been successfully synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with yttrium iron garnet (YIG) nanopowders as catalyst, ethanol as carbon stock and Argon as carrier gas. Carbon nanotube (CNT) was observed to have grown from the YIG nanopowders with bamboo-like structures. CVD synthesis temperature of 700°C and 900°C were set as the varying parameter to study the effect of temperature on the CNT growth. FESEM and RAMAN characterization indicated that CNT-YIG nanohybrid with synthesis temperature of 900°C exhibited growth of bamboo-like CNT with high graphitization compared to CNT-YIG at 700°C. Further analysis of electrical properties shows that CNT-YIG nanohybrid with synthesis temperature of 900°C has exhibited conductivity due to the CNT growth. The nanohybrid in the form of powders were then mixed with organic vehicle to produce thick film paste and screen printed onto substrate as working material for patch antenna application. Initial measurements using VNA indicated that CNT-YIG nanohybrid at 900°C gave significant results in terms of return loss and bandwidth, proving that the materials have great potentials to enhance the performance of patch antenna due to its combined electrical and magnetic properties.