Inversion and metal bonding of a vertically aligned SWNT film

PRES 23

Carter Kittrell, kittrell@rice.edu1, Myung J. Kim1, Nolan Nicholas, nuallen@rice.edu1, Erik Haroz, enano@rice.edu2, Hongwei Shan, hongwei@rice.edu1, T J Wainerdi, twainerdi@cnanotech.com1, Sungbae Lee3, Howard K. Schmidt, hks@rice.edu1, and Robert Hauge, Hauge@rice.edu4. (1) Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory, Rice University, Chem MS 100, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77005, (2) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77251, (3) Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 S Main Street, houston, 77251, (4) Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS100, Houston, TX 77005
Films of vertically aligned single wall carbon nanotubes (VA-SWNT), AKA “carpet growth”, constitute a versatile new class of nanotube growth methods. Efficient transfer of a VA-SWNT film onto another surface has been achieved using an inversion technique. The top of the as-grown film, which is covered with entangled bundles of nanotubes, is anchored to a conducting gold/silicon surface, while the ends that were attached to the original growth substrate are separated from the catalyst to yield an exceptionally flat surface of well aligned, clean bundles of open-ended nanotubes, with good electrical contact to its new substrate. We believe this will be a platform technology for bonding VA-SWNT films to many types of metallic and non-metallic electrodes. This provides us with the means to prepare carbon nanotube electrodes for device applications such as super capacitors, thermo-electric devices, and field emitters.

 

SWNTs From Synthesis to Application, From the Lab to the Fab: In Memory of Dr. Richard Smalley
4:30 PM-6:30 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Room 305, Poster

Presidential Event

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006