X-RAY PROPAGATION IN MULTIWALL CARBON NANOTUBES

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the development of inexpensive lithography techniques for applications in the area of nanoscale electronics. The semiconductor industry is pursuing the development of photolithography techniques such as extreme UV and x-ray. However these techniques are extremely expensive and not suitable for smaller scale applications. In this paper we describe research on the feasibility of exploiting x-ray propagation within carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the fabrication and characterisation of nanoscale devices. A description is given of a test structure designed to explore experimentally the possibility of x-ray propagation in carbon nanotubes. As x-ray propagation requires a grazing angle of incidence the nanotubes need to be straight and reproducible. In order to alleviate this problem the possibility of using Bragg reflection is investigated. This approach to the problem is stimulated by the inherent Bragg structure of multiwall carbon nanotubes. It is further encouraged by the recent development of coatings using materials such as WS2. Results from simulations presented in this paper show that although Bragg reflection in as-grown multiwall carbon nanotubes is weak the potential for exploitation of this phenomenon in suitably coated nanotubes exists.