Planarizing Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Fibers

POSTER

Abstract

Planarization of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) fibers was performed to produce a clean, level fiber surface of open-ended nanotubes. Low pressures, approximately 50 mTorr -- 1.0 Torr, of gas were introduced into the planarizer. The planarizer is a vacuum system that contains the heated catalytic foil and the fiber. The foil and gas react to create an aggressive species that is localized on the foil. Since the end of the fiber can be moved into contact with the foil, carbon and impurities can be removed from the end of the fiber and escape in the gas phase. The effect of change in temperature, pressure, and other variables, were tested to determine conditions that allow the end of the fiber to be etched without damaging the sidewalls of the nanotubes. The clean fibers can then be used for continued growth resembling 1D molecular epitaxy. Raman spectroscopy suggests that continued growth from a fiber produces SWNT that are identical to the ones present in the fiber. Thus, continued growth is a process that can produce specific types of SWNT, which is important because the properties, and therefore uses, of the nanotubes depend on their diameter and chirality.

Authors

  • Michelle Prewitt

    Texas Christian University

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston