Transport measurements on carbon nanotubes structurally characterized by electron diffraction

Abstract

A technique for the structural and electronic characterization of the same individual single wall carbon nanotube is presented. Electron diffraction was performed on carbon nanotubes grown across a perforated silicon nitride film and the chiral indices of individual tubes were determined. By means of a scanning-probe-based nanomanipulator a selected tube was then placed in the desired location across prepatterned electrodes. After patterning further electrodes on-top of the tube electronic transport measurements showed room temperature conductances of up to 0.2 G0. The application of a gate voltage allowed the tuning of the room temperature conductance of the device and measurements at liquid helium temperatures showed signatures of a Coulomb blockade, indicating the formation of a carbon nanotube quantum dot.