Contact characterization between multi-walled carbon nanotubes and metal electrodes

Although a variety of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) have been successfully fabricated, the contact property between multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and electrodes is still elusive. In this study, we aims at further characterizing the contact properties among MWCNTs, Au electrode (gold coated glass substrate) and tungsten deposit. First, an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever actuated by a nanorobotic manipulation system was used to move the MWCNTs to directly contact Au electrode or tungsten deposit. With the adjustment of contact length, the contact resistance could be derived by a theoretical model using two-lead method. We measured the resistance between the AFM cantilever and Au electrode or tungsten deposit before and after fixing MWCNTs with electron beam induced deposition (EBID).The results imply that the contact resistance decreased ~11%after being fixed with EBID. Moreover, EBID is confirmed to be able to strengthen the contact between MWCNT and tungsten deposit.