Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-80).The goal of this thesis is to optimize the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a conducting substrate for use as an electrode to improve energy density in a double-layer capacitor. The focus has been on several areas, such as substrate material, growth conditions, catalyst variations, and thin-film deposition techniques in order to achieve growth of a high density, vertically-aligned carbon nanotube array suitable for use as an electrode. This thesis describes the methodology of modifying a significant number of parameters in order to achieve all of the targeted electrode specifications, with the exception of nanotube density. The successful growth of a CNT array on an aluminum foil substrate marks an important milestone for realizing a future commercial product.by Daniel C. Ku.S.M
