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sections. In addition, there is a wide scope to explore the potential applications of

CVD in the following emerging areas:
2.1. Nanostructured materials
Nanostructured materials refer to materials with dimensions less than 100 nm.
These materials have potential applications in areas such as electronics, magnetism,
optics, energy storage, electrochemistry and biomedical sciences. CVD of nanocrystalline powders has been reviewed by Choy [2]. Nanostructured materials in the
form of nanotubes (e.g. carbon nanotube) have been gaining considerable technological interests because they are stronger yet lighter than steel. Durability as well as
high conductivity has made them interesting materials for the fundamental physical
studies of the intrinsic properties of quasi-one-dimensional solids and quantum
connement eects. These materials are being explored for applications in advanced
electronic devices. CVD has been used to synthesise carbon nanotubes [3] and in
combination with microfabrication techniques, have been used to synthesise ordered
carbon nanotube architectures on surfaces [4]. Large-scale synthesis of aligned carbon
nanotubes has been achieved using a method based on chemical vapour deposition
catalysed by iron nanoparticles embedded in mesoporous silica [5]. Another example
is the use of 1 nm thick carbon nanotubes as nano-gas detector. These nanotubes
can detect tiny changes in an electrical current when only a small amount (20 ppm)
of poisonous gas (e.g. nitrogen dioxide and ammonia) is present at room temperature, which is more sensitive than commercially available devices that operate at
high temperatures (e.g. 500  C) [6]. Carbon nanotubes have also being explored as
tips in atomic force microscopy for systematic studies of dry etching pattern transfer
in GaAs with scale sizes of < 100 nm [7], and nanoprobes in scanning probe microscopy [8]. Nanotubes are capable of converting mechanical movements into electrical
signals which oer potential applications for creating high-frequency telephone lines to
carry voice and data and making on/o switches for nanoscaled computer chips [9].
2.2. Free standing shapes
Although CVD of free standing shapes (e.g. crucibles) of BN, B4C, Si3N4 and
graphite are in commercial production for use in molten metals, ceramic and glass
processing [10], CVD has also been explored for producing other free-standing
materials. For example, free standing polycrystalline diamond lms of 20 mm diameter and 550 mm thick were deposited using DC-glow discharge chemical vapour
deposition at growth rates up to 30 mm/h. Such thick free standing diamond slabs
have been explored for potential applications such as brazed tool tips, heat sinks,
infrared windows [11] superhard tools [12].
Free standing diamond bres have been investigated for their suitability as
microheaters by passing electric current through the diamond bres consisting of
125 mm diameter tungsten wire coated by  35 mm thick CVD of diamond. Tungsten
wire cored bres were heated to 1000  C in a vacuum without any visible change in
the bres [13].