Crossed Nanotube Junctions Research Articles

Modeling electrical conductivity of nanocomposites by considering carbon nanotube deformation at nanotube junctions

This paper investigates the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) deformation on the electrical conductivity of CNT polymer composites at crossed nanotube junctions using a revised 3-dimensional CNT percolating network model. Two aspects of the work are considered. The first is concerned with the effect of CNT deformation on its intrinsic and contact resistances at CNT-CNT junctions. An analytical model based on electron ballistic tunneling theory and Landauer-Büttiker formula is proposed to describe the variation of CNT-CNT contact resistance at the CNT-CNT junction in terms of local deformation of CNT walls and CNT-CNT distance. In addition, a model exclusively based on experimental data to describe the change of CNT intrinsic resistance in terms of its cross-section deformation is adopted. The second is concerned with the relationship among the CNT-CNT distance, the angle between two adjacent CNTs, and the dimensions of local deformation of CNT walls and its impact on the corresponding intrinsic and contact resistance of CNTs near and at a CNT-CNT junction. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to evaluate these effects on the electrical conductivity of nanocomposites for different CNT weight fractions. Our results reveal that the local deformation of CNT walls plays a significant role in the evaluation of electrical conductivity of CNT polymer composites. The intrinsic resistance in the deformed part of CNTs near a CNT-CNT junction increases much faster than the decrease of CNT-CNT contact resistance at the same junction when two CNTs are getting closer, resulting in a net increase of resistance at the junction. Numerical results show that the current model agrees with existing experimental data better than existing models without considering the effect of CNT deformation, which tends to overestimate the electrical conductivity of CNT polymer composites containing homogeneously dispersed percolating CNT network.

Spatially Resolved Potential Distribution in Carbon Nanotube Cross-Junction Devices.

Crossed-nanotube junctions, the basic constituents of carbon nanotube networks, are investigated by scanning photocurrent microscopy. The location of the predominant electrostatic potential drop, at the electrical contacts or at the junction, is found to be highly dependent on the transport regime. Also, whereas Schottky barriers are formed at M-S (metal-semiconductor) nanotube crossings, isotype heterojunctions are formed at S-S ones (figure).

Contact Geometry and Conductance of Crossed Nanotube Junctions under Pressure

We explored the relative stability, structure, and conductance of crossed nanotube junctions with dispersion corrected density functional theory. We found that the most stable junction geometry, not studied before, displays the smallest conductance. While the conductance increases as force is applied, it levels off very rapidly. This behavior contrasts with a less stable junction geometry that show steady increase of the conductance as force is applied. Electromechanical sensing devices based on this effect should exploit the conductance changes close to equilibrium.

Adhesion and friction of a multiwalled carbon nanotube sliding against single-walled carbon nanotube

The adhesion and friction at crossed nanotube junctions were investigated in ambient by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) in tapping mode. A multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) tip attached to a conventional AFM probe was scanned across a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) suspended over a $2\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$-wide trench. The interaction between nanotubes was found to critically depend on the morphology of the MWNT tip, which was determined from force-distance curves and scans performed against hard trench surface. The interaction between nanotubes caused the attenuation of vibrational amplitude of AFM cantilever, from which the frictional force between nanotubes was obtained by analyzing the dissipated vibrational power of cantilever. The adhesive force between nanotubes was measured from the vertical cantilever deflection when the MWNT tip end detached from the shell of the SWNT. From the friction and adhesion data, an experimental value of coefficient of friction of $0.006\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003$ is obtained for the sliding between nanotubes, which is comparable to the reported value of graphite on nanoscale. The shear strength between nanotubes is derived to be $4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MPa}$ by using a continuum model, which is in accordance with the value of $2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MPa}$ reported for the sliding of MWNT on graphite in ambient. It is nearly 2 orders of magnitude larger than the interlayer shear strength of $0.05\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MPa}$ reported for MWNT in vacuum. We attribute the difference between the intertube and the interlayer frictions to the presence of water at the nanotube-nanotube interface in ambient.

Precise positioning of single-walled carbon nanotubes by ac dielectrophoresis

The precise placement of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in device architectures by ac dielectrophoresis involves the optimization of the electrode geometry, applied voltage and frequency, load resistance, and type of nanotube sample used. The authors have developed a toolkit to controllably integrate SWCNTs in device structures by the use of floating potential metal posts and appropriate electrode geometries, as designed using electric field simulations, and used it to fabricate structures such as crossed nanotube junctions.

Electron Beam Induced Structural Transformations of SWNTs and DWNTs Grown on Si<SUB>3</SUB>N<SUB>4</SUB>/Si Substrates

Electron beam induced structural transformations are investigated in single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) and crossed nanotube junctions. The nanotubes studied here are synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition method. The response of the nanotubes to an electron beam is found to be influenced by the presence of coatings of amorphous carbon, graphene fragments and structural defects on the tube surface. The dependence of structural modifications on electron beam irradiation dose is measured. While nanotubes with amorphous carbon, graphene fragment coverage and/or defects undergo rapid transformation leading to structure disintegration, those without such coverage or defects are more resistant to beam damage. In addition, it is shown that the amorphous carbon coverage on the double-wall nanotubes can be transformed into graphene layers during electron beam irradiation of coated nanotubes. Finally, the relative stability of nanotube side-wall and end-walls are investigated through sub-threshold energy and above threshold energy irradiation of a model system, C60-filled nanotubes (Peapods). The data indicates that electron beams could be used to join nanotubes end-to-end without damaging the side-walls.

Flow-Induced Planar Assembly of Parallel Carbon Nanotubes and Crossed Nanotube Junctions

We report the in-situ assembly of carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition of hydrocarbon precursor (a solution of ferrocene dissolved in isopropyl alcohol). We utilized the vapor stream inside the reaction chamber to comb carbon nanotubes along the same direction and obtained two-dimensional (planar) assembly of nanotubes with tunable distributions. When the carbon source was flowing at a relatively higher rate of approximately 0.2 ml/min, most of nanotubes were driven along the vapor flow direction during their growth process and formed a thin freestanding mat featured with a parallel arrangement, whereas a lower flowing rate (approximately 0.05 ml/min) only resulted in random spider-web structures consisting of crossed nanotube junctions with a variety of configurations (e.g., "+", "Y", "T" shapes and twists). The measured direction-dependent electrical resistance of these two assemblies was in agreement with respective structures, which was anisotropic for parallel nanotubes and nearly isotropic for random networks. Such large-area planar carbon nanotube arrays with controlled orientation and various junction configurations will facilitate the design and fabrication of electronic and mechanical devices.

Crossed nanotube junctions

Junctions consisting of two crossed single-walled carbon nanotubes were fabricated with electrical contacts at each end of each nanotube. The individual nanotubes were identified as metallic (M) or semiconducting (S), based on their two-terminal conductances; MM, MS, and SS four-terminal devices were studied. The MM and SS junctions had high conductances, on the order of 0.1 e(2)/h (where e is the electron charge and h is Planck's constant). For an MS junction, the semiconducting nanotube was depleted at the junction by the metallic nanotube, forming a rectifying Schottky barrier. We used two- and three-terminal experiments to fully characterize this junction.