Assembly of nanodevices with carbon nanotubes through nanorobotic manipulations

TLDR

Assembly of nanodevices with carbon nanotubes relies on scanning probe microscopes and nanorobotic manipulators, employing building‑block preparation, nanometer‑scale positioning, and connection, with nanorobotic systems offering multi‑degree‑of‑freedom control and real‑time observation for 3‑D assembly. The study reviews the properties and potential applications of carbon nanotubes, emphasizing their roles in nanoelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems. A prototype 16‑DOF nanorobotic manipulation system was used to fabricate multi‑walled carbon nanotube building blocks by picking, characterizing, and modifying them, then assembling junctions under real‑time field‑emission SEM observation using van der Waals forces, electron‑beam deposition, or mechanochemical bonding. The system successfully assembled nanodevices and constructed functional nanotube junctions, demonstrating the feasibility of nanorobotic manipulation for complex 3‑D carbon nanotube nanodevice fabrication.

Abstract

Properties and potential applications of carbon nanotubes are summarized by emphasizing the aspects of nanoelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). The main technologies for the assembly of nanodevices through nanomanipulations with scanning probe microscopes and nanorobotic manipulators are overviewed, focusing on that of nanotubes. Key techniques for nanoassembly include the preparation of nano building blocks and property characterization of them, the positioning of the building blocks with nanometer-scale resolution, and the connection of them. Nanorobotic manipulations, which are characterized by multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs) with both position and orientation control, independently actuated multiprobes, and a real-time observation system, are one of the most promising technologies for assembling complex nanodevices in three-dimensional space. With a nano laboratory, a prototype nanomanufacturing system based on a 16-DOF nanorobotic manipulation system, the assembly of nanodevices with multiwalled carbon nanotubes are presented. Nanotube-based building blocks are prepared by directly picking up, in situ property characterization, destructive fabrication, and shape modifications. Kinds of nanotube junctions, the fundamental elements for both nanoelectronics and NEMS, are constructed by positioning the building blocks together under the real-time observation with a field-emission scanning electron microscope, connecting them with naturally existing van der Waals forces, electron-beam-induced deposition, or mechanochemical bonding.