Fabrication and electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube interconnections

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been cut, manipulated, and soldered via electron-beam-induced deposition of amorphous carbon (a-C) and using a scanning tunneling microscope inside a transmission electron microscope. All CNT structures, including simple tube-tube connections, crossed junctions, T-junctions, zigzag structures, and even nanotube networks, have been successfully constructed with a high degree of control, and their electrical and mechanical properties have been measured in situ inside the transimssion electron microscope. It is found that multiple CNTs may be readily soldered together with moderate junction resistance and excellent mechanical resilience and strength, and the junction resistance may be further reduced by current-induced graphitization of the deposited a-C on the junction.