Single crystal silicon was found to be very beneficial to the growth of aligned carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition with C2H2 as carbon source. A thin film of Ni served as catalyst was deposited on the Si substrate by the K575X Peltier Cooled High Resolution Sputter Coater before growth. The growth properties of carbon nanotubes were studied as a function of the Ni catalyst layer thickness. The diameter, growth rate and areal density of the carbon nanotubes were controlled by the initial thickness of the catalyst layer. Steric hindrance between nanotubes forces them to grow in well-aligned manner at an initial stage of growth. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that nanotubes grew by a tip growth mechanism.