Carbon nanotubes have been grown with a sharply defined zigzag structure by introducing changes in the direction of applied electric field during dc plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The nanotubes maintain the same diameter before and after each bend while preserving the catalyst particle at the tip of growing nanotubes. The bends have very sharp radii of curvature of only ~25 nm. As a simple inclined field direction cannot produce such a zigzag growth due to the tendency of field lines intersecting perpendicular to the local surface, the bending has been introduced primarily by dramatically manipulating the electric field lines through controlled movement of field-concentrating conductor plates.

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