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Controlled Deposition and Applied Field Alignment of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes for CNT Device Fabrication.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2011

Jan Smits
Affiliation:
Lockheed Martin Space Operations
Buzz Wincheski
Affiliation:
NASA Langley Research Center
JoAnne Ingram
Affiliation:
Swales Aerospace Hampton VA, 23681
Neal Watkins
Affiliation:
NASA Langley Research Center
Jeff Jordan
Affiliation:
NASA Langley Research Center
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Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer great potential for advanced sensing devices due to their unique electronic transport properties. However, a significant obstacle to the realization of practical CNT devices is the formation of controlled, reliable and reproducible CNT to metallic contacts. In this work, a procedure for the deposition and alignment of CNTs onto metallic electrodes using chemically functionalized lithographic patterns is reported. This method uses photo and electron beam lithography to pattern simple Cr/Au thin film circuits on oxidized Si substrates. The circuits are then re-patterned with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to specify desired CNT locations between electrodes. The application of an electric field to the metallic contacts during the deposition of solution suspended single walled CNTs causes alignment of the CNTs in the field direction. This method consistently produces aligned CNTs in the defined locations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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References

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