A simple, low-cost plasma reactor was developed for the purpose of carrying out thin film deposition experiments. The reactor is based largely on the Atmospheric Pressure Nonequilibrium Plasma (APNEP) design with a simple modification. It was used in an attempt to fabricate magnesium diboride thin films via a novel, but unsuccessful CVD process where plasma etching provides a precursor boron flux. Carbon nanotubes were successfully synthesised with the apparatus using a plasma-based variation of the floating catalyst or vapour phase growth method. The affect of various parameters and chemicals on the quality of nanotube production was assessed.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.