Spin-dependent tunneling transport into CrO2 nanorod devices with nonmagnetic contacts

Single-crystal nanorods of half-metallic chromium dioxide (CrO2) were synthesized and structurally characterized. Spin-dependent electrical transport was investigated in individual CrO2 nanorod devices contacted with nonmagnetic metallic electrodes. Negative magnetoresistance (MR) was observed at low temperatures due to the spin-dependent direct tunneling through the contact barrier and the high spin polarization in the half-metallic nanorods. The magnitude of this negative magnetoresistance decreases with increasing bias voltage and temperature due to spin-independent inelastic hopping through the barrier, and a small positive magnetoresistance was found at room temperature. It is believed that the contact barrier and the surface state of the nanorods have great influence on the spin-dependent transport limiting the magnitude of MR effect in this first attempt at spin filter devices of CrO2 nanorods with nonmagnetic contacts.     

碳纳米管/金属接触改善方法的研究进展

碳纳米管(CNT)由于其独特结构和优异特性已被广泛用来构筑各种纳米器件. 而CNT与电极间的接触在CNT器件中扮演着重要的作用, 是器件性能的关键影响因素. 采用何种有效的方法来改善CNT与金属电极间的接触一直是CNT器件研究中的一个重要方面. 本文综述了近年来CNT/金属接触改善方法的研究进展, 结合本课题组的研究对目前有代表性的接触改善方法进行介绍. 阐述了各种改善方法的原理和加工工艺, 讨论了采用这些方法获得的接触特性和器件性能, 并对各方法的特点进行了比较.     

Theoretical characterization of the topology of connected carbon nanotubes in random networks

In recent years, a lot of attention has been paid to carbon nanotube (CNT) networks and their applications to electronic devices. Many studies concentrate on the percolation threshold and the characterization of the conduction in such materials. Nevertheless, no theoretical study has yet attempted to characterize the CNT features inside finite size CNT networks. We present a theoretical approach based on geometrical and statistical considerations. We demonstrate the possibility of explicitly determining some relations existing between two neighbor CNTs and their contact efficiency in random networks of identical CNTs. We calculate the contact probability of rigid identical CNTs and we obtain a probability of 0.2027, which turns out to be independent of the CNT density. Based on this probability, we establish also the dependence of the number of contacts per CNT as a function of the CNT density. All the theoretical results are validated by very good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations.     

Carbon nanotubes grown on stainless steel to form plate and probe electrodes for chemical/biological sensing

This paper describes the fabrication and evaluation of carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes grown on stainless steel (SS) plate and wire for electrochemical sensor applications. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes with different diameters were grown on the SS plate and wire by chemical vapor deposition from an ethylene precursor. The SS provides a good electrical and mechanical connection to the CNT, and the SS is a tough substrate. The SS part of the electrode was electrically insulated from the analyte so that only the CNT were active in sensing. Cyclic voltammetry for the reduction of 6 mM K3Fe(CN)6 in a 1.0 M KNO3 supporting electrolyte was performed to examine the redox behavior of the CNT-SS electrode. The cyclic voltammograms showed sigmoidal-like shapes, indicating that mass transport around the electrodes is dominated by radial diffusion. Based on the cyclic voltammograms, the effective area of the CNT-SS electrodes and the number of individual CNTs were estimated. These results indicate that the CNT-SS plate and wire electrodes are good candidates to develop practical in vivo biosensors.     

Self‐sensing damage in CNT infused epoxy panels with and without glass‐fibre reinforcement

The objective of the study is to utilise a material's inherent electrical conductivity as means of damage quantification and damage location detection. After determining the percolation threshold for a carbon nanotube (CNT)‐epoxy mixture, an optimum concentration was chosen to infuse it into glass‐fabric reinforced panels to make them electrically conductive. Two different multiwalled CNT‐epoxy composites were manufactured for this study: CNT enhanced epoxy resin and glass‐fabric reinforced CNT epoxy resin. Epoxy resin‐based glass‐fabric reinforced composite panels enhanced with carbon nanotubes were manufactured with embedded electrodes and then subjected to damages. Rectangular panels of various proportions were studied. Disks made out of copper foil were affixed to surfaces of CNT epoxy panel, whereas in glass‐fabric CNT epoxy specimen, total of 64 electrodes (grid of 8 × 8) were embedded inside the composite panel under the top layer of the 10‐ply fabric. The disks acted as electrodes, enabling voltage measurements using in‐line 4‐probe technique, which minimises contact resistance between the electrodes and the material. Two different configurations of electrode network were employed to scan voltage change in the entire composite panel. The networks included evenly spaced (3 in. for inner ones) electrodes that spanned the surface of the panel. To further investigate influence of electrodes distribution, finite element simulations were used to solve the electrical potential distribution in the panel for various damage sizes and location. Predamage and postdamage voltage field was used as gauge in sensing the damage and its extent for quantification. The finite element method simulation results matched the experimental data closely. The results indicate that there is a consistent behaviour that can be correlated to the size and location of the damage. As spacing between electrodes is increased, they become less responsive to smaller damages. Forty‐eight electrodes (out of 64) were actively used and were enough to confirm that the method can be used as an alternative to electrical tomography method where fewer (boundary) electrodes per area are employed but at a higher cost of computational cost. One important aspect of this study with embedded and distributed electrodes is the fact that the method can be applied to larger panels increasing its utility in practical applications.     

Fabrication of a carbon-nanotube-based field-effect transistor by microcontact printing

The fabrication of a field-effect transistor with both channel material and source and drain electrodes made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through patterned deposition of CNT films by microcontact printing is described. Surfactant-dispersed single-walled CNTs are first separated into semiconducting and metallic fractions by gel filtration. The semiconducting and metallic CNTs are then sequentially transferred by dendrimer-coated polydimethylsiloxane stamps onto dendrimer-coated silicon wafers following a printing protocol optimized for this purpose. The resulting CNT micropatterns are visualized by atomic force microscopy. Semiconducting as well as metallic CNTs preserve their characteristic electronic properties within the transferred films. A device composed of a rather thick (ca. 5 nm) and densely patterned film of metallic CNTs cross-printed on top of a thinner (ca. 1.5 nm) and less dense film of semiconducting CNTs shows the typical properties of a field-effect transistor with the metallic CNT stripes as electrodes, the semiconductive CNT stripes as channel material, and the silicon substrate as gate electrode.     

CuI-Si heterojunction solar cells with carbon nanotube films as flexible top-contact electrodes

We report the fabrication of CuI-Si heterojunction solar cells with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a transparent electrode. A flexible CNT network was transferred onto the top of a polycrystalline CuI layer, making a conformal coating with good contact with the underlying CuI. The solar cells showed power conversion efficiencies in the range of 6% to 10.5%, while the efficiency degradation was less than 10% after the device was stored in air for 8 days. Compared with conventional rigid electrodes such as indium tin oxide (ITO) glass, the flexibility of the CNT films ensures better contact with the active layers and removes the need for press-contact electrodes. Degraded cells can recover their original performance by acid doping of the CNT electrode. Our results suggest that CNT films are suitable electrical contacts for rough materials and structures with an uneven surface.      

Suspension and measurement of graphene and Bi2Se3 thin crystals

Coupling high-quality suspended atomic membranes to specialized electrodes enables the investigation of many novel phenomena, such as spin or Cooper pair transport in these two-dimensional systems. However, many electrode materials are not stable in the acids that are used to dissolve underlying substrates. Here we present a versatile and powerful multilevel lithographical technique to suspend thin crystals, which can be applied to the vast majority of substrate, crystal and electrode materials. Using this technique, we fabricated suspended graphene devices with Al electrodes and a mobility of 5500 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). We also demonstrate, for the first time, fabrication and measurement of a free-standing thin Bi(2)Se(3) crystal, which has low contact resistance to electrodes and a mobility of approximately > 580 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).     

Tailoring Thickness of Conformal Conducting Polymer Decorated Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Energy Storage

Aligned Carbon nanotubes (A‐CNT) based electrodes have emerged as high‐performance elements in electric energy storage and conversion devices. Morphological tailoring of conformal coatings of poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) conductive polymer (CP) on the A‐CNT scaffold is demonstrated by controlling CP thickness at the nm scale. Results show that the CP nano‐films dominate the electrode capacitance in a supercapacitor application, contributing as much as 10x (pseudo)capacitance over the electric double layer of pristine A‐CNT due to volumetric vs. surface charge storage. Comparison to theoretical ion mobilities shows that the conformal CP films have active sites at ∼30% doping, indicating the CP quality is similar to thin films on flat substrates and that all these sites are accessed at all CP thickness values (up to 10 nm PEDOT thickness) and do not limit the rate of ion transport in and out of the CP film volume. Supercapacitor electrodes fabricated from these novel morphology‐controlled nanostructured composites provide a new route towards high‐performance next generation energy storage devices.     

A study of Joule heating-induced breakdown of carbon nanotube interconnects

We investigate breakdown of carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnects induced by Joule heating in air and under high vacuum conditions (10(-5) mbar). A CNT with a diameter of 18 nm, which is grown by chemical vapor deposition to connect opposing titanium nitride (TiN) electrodes, is able to carry an electrical power up to 0.6 mW before breaking down under vacuum, with a corresponding maximum current density up to 8 × 10(7) A cm(-2) (compared to 0.16 mW and 2 × 10(7) A cm(-2) in air). Decoration with electrochemically deposited Ni particles allows protection of the CNT interconnect against oxidation and improvement of the heat release through the surrounding environment. A CNT decorated with Ni particles is able to carry an increased electrical power of about 1.5 mW before breaking down under vacuum, with a corresponding maximum current density as high as 1.2 × 10(8) A cm(-2). The Joule heating produced along the current carrying CNT interconnect is able to melt the Ni particles and promotes the formation of titanium carbon nitride which improves the electrical contact between the CNT and the TiN electrodes.     

Improvement of the field emission of carbon nanotubes-metal nanocomposite

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) decorated with Ni and Ag performed by electroless plating, and the effect of Ni and Ag nanoparticles and coating distribution on field emission of CNT are studied. The chemical composition, microstructure of CNT/Ni and CNT/Ag nanocomposites are characterized by an energy dispersion X-ray spectroscope (EDS), a transmission electron microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The field emission properties of CNT/Ni and CNT/Ag cathodes are measured using a diode structure under a pressure of 10^?5 Pa. The experimental results show that fine and well-dispersed metallic nanoparticles and discontinuous coating of Ni and Ag on the CNT surface can be obtained by electroless plating. Moreover, the enhanced field emission properties of CNT decorated with Ni and Ag can be obtained by lowering the work function of emitters and reducing the contact resistance between cathode and substrate. The field enhancement factors as high as 24264 of CNT/Ni and 25565 of CNT/Ag emitters can be improved by the distributed nano-sized Ni and Ag formed on the CNT surface.     

Nano Temperature Sensor Using Selective Lateral Growth of Carbon Nanotube Between Electrodes

This paper presents lateral growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) between two electrodes and its use as nano temperature sensor. Fabrication of electrodes is made by MEMS techniques. The CNT is grown selectively by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition between two electrodes. After wire bonding, the grown CNT is tested and calibrated. The growth conditions of CNT, such as the flow rate of CH₄ or N₂ gas, are varied to obtain a high-quality CNT sensor. SEM is used to observe the shape and structure of CNT, while Raman spectrum analysis is used to indicate the degree of graphitization or amorphous structure in the CNT. The I-V curve of CNT is measured at different temperature, and a linear relationship between the electric resistance of CNT and the temperature is obtained. This result indicates that CNT can be used as a temperature sensor     

Recent Advances in Research on Carbon Nanotube–Polymer Composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) demonstrate remarkable electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, which allow a number of exciting potential applications. In this article, we review the most recent progress in research on the development of CNT–polymer composites, with particular attention to their mechanical and electrical (conductive) properties. Various functionalization and fabrication approaches and their role in the preparation of CNT–polymer composites with improved mechanical and electrical properties are discussed. We tabulate the most recent values of Young's modulus and electrical conductivities for various CNT–polymer composites and compare the effectiveness of different processing techniques. Finally, we give a future outlook for the development of CNT–polymer composites as potential alternative materials for various applications, including flexible electrodes in displays, electronic paper, antistatic coatings, bullet‐proof vests, protective clothing, and high‐performance composites for aircraft and automotive industries.     

Electrical contact properties between the accumulation layer and metal electrodes in ultrathin poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) field effect transistors

Probing contact properties between an ultrathin conjugated polymer film and metal electrodes in field effect transistors (FETs) is crucial not only to understanding charge transport properties in the accumulation layer but also in building organic sensors with high sensitivity. We investigated the contact properties between gold electrodes and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a function of film thickness using gated four-point sheet resistance measurements. In an FET with a 2 nm thick P3HT film, a large voltage drop of 1.9 V (V(D) = -3 V) corresponding to a contact resistance of 2.3 × 10(8) Ω was observed. An effective FET mobility of 1.4 × 10(-3) cm(2)/(V s) was calculated when the voltage drop at the contacts was factored out, which is approximately a factor of 3 greater than the two-contact FET mobility of 5.5 × 10(-4) cm(2)/(V s). A sharp decrease in the ratio of the contact resistance to the channel resistance was observed with increasing film thickness up to a thickness of approximately 6 nm, separating a contact limited regime from a charge transport limited regime. The origin of the large contact resistance observed in the device prepared with an ultrathin P3HT film is discussed in light of results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies.     

Modeling the tensile stress–strain response of carbon nanotube/polypropylene nanocomposites using nonlinear representative volume element

This paper presents a finite element model for predicting the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at large deformation scale. Existing numerical models cannot predict composite behavior at large strains due to using simplified material properties and inefficient interfaces between CNT and polymer. In this work, nonlinear representative volume elements (RVE) of composite are prepared. These RVEs consist of CNT, PP matrix and non-bonded interface. The nonlinear material properties for CNT and polymer are adopted to solid elements. For the first time, the interface between CNT and matrix is simulated using contact elements. This interfacial model is capable enough to simulate wide range of interactions between CNT and polymer in large strains. The influence of adding CNT with different aspect ratio into PP is studied. The mechanical behavior of composites with different interfacial shear strength (ISS) is discussed. The success of this new model was verified by comparing the simulation results for RVEs with conducted experimental results. The results shows that the length of CNT and ISS values significantly affect the reinforcement phenomenon.     

Effect of carbon nanotube network morphology on thin film transistor performance

The properties of electronic devices based on carbon nanotube networks (CNTNs) depend on the carbon nanotube (CNT) deposition method used, which can yield a range of network morphologies. Here, we synthesize single-walled CNTs using an aerosol (floating catalyst) chemical vapor deposition process and deposit CNTs at room temperature onto substrates as random networks with various morphologies. We use four CNT deposition techniques: electrostatic or thermal precipitation, and filtration through a filter followed by press transfer or dissolving the filter. We study the mobility using pulsed measurements to avoid hysteresis, the on/off ratio, and the electrical noise properties of the CNTNs, and correlate them to the network morphology through careful imaging. Among the four deposition methods thermal precipitation is found to be a novel approach to prepare high-performance, partially aligned CNTNs that are dry-deposited directly after their synthesis. Our results provide new insight into the role of the network morphologies and offer paths towards tunable transport properties in CNT thin film transistors.      

Transport comparison of multiwall carbon nanotubes by contacting outer shell and all shells

Carbon nanotubes, particularly multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can serve as interconnects in nanoelectronic devices and integrated circuits because of their extremely large current-carrying capacity. Many experimental results about the transport properties of individual MWCNTs by contacting outer shell or all shells have been reported. In this work, a compatible method with integrated circuit manufacturing process was presented to compare the transport property of an individual multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by contacting outer shell only and all shells successively. First of the Ti/Au electrodes contacting outer shell only were fabricated onto the nanotube through the sequence of electron beam lithography (EBL) patterning, metal deposition and lift-off process. After the characterization of its transport property, focused ion beam (FIB) was used to drill holes through the same nanotube at the as-deposited electrodes. Then new contact to the holes and electrodes were made by ion-induced deposition of tungsten from W(CO)6 precursor gas. The transport results indicated that the new contact to all shells can clear up the intershell resistance and the electrical conductance of the tube can be improved about 8 times compared to that of by contacting outer shell only.     

Spin Filter Effect in a Parallel Double Quantum Dot

We present a theoretical study of the spectral and the spin-dependent transport properties of a few electron semiconductor parallel double quantum dot (DQD) in the presence of local induced Zeeman splittings at the quantum dots. Working in an extended Hubbard model and treating the coupled QD as a single coherent system, the linear response spin-dependent conductance is calculated at low temperatures. We analyze the conditions such that the device would operate as a bipolar spin filter by only varying the incident electron Fermi energy from non-magnetic leads.     

Spin Filter Effect in a Parallel Double Quantum Dot

We present a theoretical study of the spectral and the spin-dependent transport properties of a few electron semiconductor parallel double quantum dot (DQD) in the presence of local induced Zeeman splittings at the quantum dots. Working in an extended Hubbard model and treating the coupled QD as a single coherent system, the linear response spin-dependent conductance is calculated at low temperatures. We analyze the conditions such that the device would operate as a bipolar spin filter by only varying the incident electron Fermi energy from non-magnetic leads.