Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are allotropes of carbon that consist of multiple rolled layers of graphene with different length and diameter and find applications in many interdisciplinary fields. In general, a transition metal catalyst such as Fe, Ni or Co is used to trigger MWCNT growth in a vapor–liquid–solid method. We combine plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and a substrate with a periodic nano-pattern of catalysts to grow MWCNTs in our lab. By this, we grow periodically spaced out as well as straight and perpendicular aligned MWCNTs for energy and biomedical applications.