We examined the role of non-isothermal growth on catalysts formed from sputtered films and metal salts. Catalysts formed from sputtered films were obtained in a very similar way to that described for ARES samples: a 10nm-thick ALD Al2O3 layer was first deposited onto flat Si substrates (coated with 100 nm of SiO2), followed by the deposition of a thin film of desired thickness (0.3-1 nm) and composition (Co or Fe) using magnetron sputtering. For CNT growth from metal salt-based catalysts, we used a simple dip coating technique: flat Si substrates (the same as before) were immersed in solutions containing either Fe or Co chloride dissolved in isopropanol (125 µg/ml) for 30 s. Following this, the substrates were quickly dipped into n-hexane to rinse off excess solvent and then allowed to air-dry before introducing them in the tube furnace.