Dielectrophoretic alignment of carbon nanotubes: theory, applications, and future

Impacts of Hydrogen Adsorption on Carbon Nanotube-Metal Schottky Contacts

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-metal Schottky contacts are widely employed in different types of electronic devices, including field effect transistors (FET) and gas sensors. CNTs are normally considered stable on electronic properties with gas adsorptions. In this work, performance changes of the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-metal junctions related to hydrogen adsorptions were illustrated. MWCNT/Pd and MWCNT/Au Schottky junctions based resistive sensors were constructed to investigate the low-pressure gas sensing performances for hydrogen in the range of 10-6~10-3 Pa. Two types of sensors presented opposite behaviors with hydrogen adsorptions, i.e., the sensor resistance rose for the MWCNT/Pd sensor but dropped for the MWCNT/Au sensor with increasing hydrogen pressure. The work function reductions of Pd and CNT are considered the key cause, which could change the Schottky barrier properties dramatically. This behavior may play crucial roles for the accurate utilization of CNT-based Schottky devices.

Dielectrophoretically Assembled SWCNTs Networks on SU-8 Substrate for PEG/SWCNTs Composite Gas Sensor

This study proposed a SU-8 based gas sensor, integrated with heater and sensing electrodes, to develop a multi-channel gas sensor with PEG/SWCNTs composite films. The impedance of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on each sensing electrode was well controlled via dielectrophoresis technology. To investigate dielectrophoretic mobility characteristics, the concentric circular sensing electrode has three different spacing between the inner and outer electrodes, including 10 μm, 15 μm, and 20 μm. The electrodes were applied with a 5 MHz AC source with a voltage ranging from 1 Vpp to 5 Vpp. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was deposited on the gas sensor via drop casting. The fabricated gas sensor was operated at different working temperatures, including 25 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C, to examine the sensing response. The response results revealed that the PEG/SWCNTs composites gas sensor with 60 °C working temperature exhibited the ability to detect 80 ppm ethanol vapor.

Screen-printed interdigitated microelectrodes employment in dielectrophoretic manipulation of MWCNTs

As key enablers of Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things, sensors are among the first devices which are to encounter fast physical transformation (from rigid to flexible) as of large-scale utilization of printing technologies. In order to step-up this process, adaptation of conventional fabrication technologies (based on metallization) employed in sensors' development should be tested and demonstrated. Within this paper, we are reporting the functionality of dielectrophoresis (DEP) for electromanipulation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as sensing element, at the level of printed interdigitated electrodes. First, we present the flatbed screen-printed process of interdigitated microelectrodes on flexible substrate with tailored geometries employed afterwards for generating convenient dielectrophoretic forces of optimal magnitude and frequency for trapping MWCNTs. Successful dielectrophoresis operability of MWCNTs across silver-based screen-printed μIDE (interdigitated microelectrodes) provided with electrode gaps of ≈ 150 μm was validated and suitable values of the signal frequencies for avoiding parasitic electrokinetic phenomena (AC electro-osmosis, electrothermal effect) occurring simultaneously with DEP were identified. Time-dependent effect of DEP over MWCNTs bridges formation is discussed, as well as voltage magnitude contribution.