Publications

LDRD Project 102662 provided support to pursue experiments aimed at measuring the basic electrodynamic response and possible applications of carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires at radiofrequency to microwave frequencies, approximately 0.01 to 50 GHz. Under this project, a method was developed to integrate these nanomaterials onto high-frequency compatible co-planar waveguides. The complex reflection and transmission coefficients of the nanomaterials was studied as a function of frequency. From these data, the high-frequency loss characteristics of the nanomaterials were deduced. These data are useful to predict frequency dependence and power dissipation characteristics in new rf/microwave devices incorporating new nanomaterials.

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We present experimental observation and theoretical analysis of looping carbon nanotubes connecting two electrodes. The measured conductance of the nanotubes is not strongly affected by the presence of these conformational defects, a result that is confirmed by quantum transport calculations. Our work indicates that solution-based fabrication methods for carbon nanotube devices can have high conformational defect tolerance, except for defects with 5-10 nanometer bending radius. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.

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In this article we report on the electrical characteristics of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) wrapped with single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA). We fabricate these devices using a solution-based method whereby SWCNTs are dispersed in aqueous solution using 20-mer ssDNA, and are placed across pairs of Au electrodes using alternating current dielectrophoresis (ACDEP). In addition to current voltage characteristics, we evaluate our devices using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We find that ACDEP with ssDNA based suspensions results in individual SWCNTs bridging metal electrodes, free of carbon debris, while similar devices prepared using the Triton X-100 surfactant yield nanotube bundles, and frequently have carbon debris attached to the nanotubes. Furthermore, the presence of ssDNA around the nanotubes does not appear to appreciably affect the overall electrical characteristics of the devices. In addition to comparing the properties of several devices prepared on nominally clean Au electrodes, we also investigate the effects of self-assembled monolayers of C{sub 14}H{sub 29}-SH alkyl thiol and benzyl mercaptan on the adhesion and electrical transport across the metal/SWCNT/metal devices.