Controlled Manipulation of Carbon Nanotubes for Nanodevices, Arrays, and Films

Carbon nanotubes hold great promise for a number of applications due to their outstanding electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. However, nanomanufacturing issues constitute a major area of challenge for successful implementation of nanotubes. In particular, because subtle changes in physical structure (chirality) can cause the electronic structure to vary from metallic to semiconducting, the goal of fully controlled nanotube device fabrication has proven elusive. In addition, materials compatibility issues impose significant limitations toward integration of nanotubes with many substrates and systems. We have developed techniques for nanotube device manufacture that rely upon mechanical transfer of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown nanotubes from one substrate to another. These techniques can be used on the level of individual nanotubes, for controlled fabrication of arrays, or for manufacture of thin films.