Alignment of carbon nanotubes on pre-structured silicon by surface acoustic waves

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have been deposited and aligned onto the pre-structured metal contacts of a silicon chip. Crucial for the deposition and alignment process are micro-fluidic flow fields combined with electric dipole fields generated by surface acoustic waves within a gap filled with an aqueous carbon nanotube suspension. This gap is formed when the pre-structured silicon chip is flipped onto the piezoelectric lithium niobate substrate, allowing for the generation of surface acoustic waves. The contacting probability of carbon nanotubes on the prestructured metal contacts has been found to be 37%. In combination with back-gates, these structures define three-terminal devices and the first current–voltage characteristics.