Nanomaterials

Lecture 6: Carbon Nanomaterials

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Carbon Nanomaterials
STM Image

7 nm

AFM Image

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 Fullerenes

• C60 was established by mass spectrographic analysis by Kroto and Smalley in 1985
• C60 is called a buckminsterfullerene or buckyball due to resemblance to geodesic
domes designed and built by R. Buckminster Fuller
G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7
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 Endofullerenes

• Endohedral doping of fullerenes leads to the formation of a dipole moment that

influences solubility and other properties.
G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7
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Electronic Structure of Molecular and Solid C60

G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7

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 Single Molecule STM Spectroscopy of C60
3-D STM Topograph

Dangling
Bonds

C60

Structure of C60
70 Å x 70 Å

Spectroscopic variation among surface features Si

1.0
C60
Si Dangling Bond
LUMO peak
0.8 H-passivated Si

Ge
dI/dV (A.U.)

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
-2 -1 0 1 2 Calculated local density of states for Si(100)
Energy (eV)

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 Rolled Up From Graphene Sheets:
Carbon Nanotubes

G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7

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 Carbon Nanotube Synthesis:
Carbon Arc Discharge

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

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 Carbon Nanotube Synthesis:
Chemical Vapor Deposition

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Carbon Nanotube Synthesis:
Laser Ablation

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Chirality of Carbon Nanotubes

G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7

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 Energy Band Diagrams of Carbon Nanotubes

G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7

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 Electrical Properties of Graphite

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

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 Electrical Properties of Straight Nanotubes

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

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 Electrical Properties of Twisted Nanotubes

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

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 Bandgap of Semiconducting Nanotubes

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 Electrical Properties of MWNTs

• MWNT bandgap is proportional to 1/d Æ At room temperature,

MWNTs behave like metals since d ~ 10 nm
• Only the outermost shell carries current in an undamaged MWNT
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 Other Properties of SWNTs

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Other Properties of SWNTs

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Nanotubes as Interconnects

P. G. Collins and Ph. Avouris, Scientific American, 283, 62 (2000).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

 Current Carrying Capacity of MWNTs

Although a cross-sectional view of a MWNT shows several

cylindrical shells, only the outermost shell carries current in
an undamaged MWNT.
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 Representative MWNT I-V Curve:
8

A/m )
2 13 2
Maximum current density: 6.8 x 10 A/m
6 7
Maximum electric field: 1.6 x 10 V/m
13
Current density (x10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
6
Electric field (x10 V/m)

Maximum current densities of potential interconnect materials:

• Metals: 1010 – 1012 A/m2
• Superconductors: Jc ~ 1012 A/m2
• MWNTs: >5×1013 A/m2
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 Electrically Stressed MWNTs
Before Electrical Stress After Failure

1 μm2 AFM image 1 μm2 AFM image

Experimental method: Monitor the current as a function of time

while stressing the MWNT at a fixed voltage.
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 Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Failure

P. G. Collins, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 86, 3128 (2001).

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 Device Applications of Nanotube Junctions

G. Timp, Nanotechnology, Chapter 7

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 Engineering Carbon Nanotubes
Using Electrical Breakdown

P. G. Collins, et al., Science, 292, 706 (2001).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University
 Engineering Carbon Nanotubes
Using Electrical Breakdown

P. G. Collins, et al., Science, 292, 706 (2001).

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University