Synthesis, structure and electrical properties of carbon nanotube junctions*

Carbon nanotubes have great promise for applications in electronics, optics, materials science, energy storage, and sensor technology due to their interesting electronic and mechanical properties which are determined by their unique morphologies and structures. In this presentation, the growth mechanism, structure, and electrical property of multi-walled carbon nanotube junctions as well as the mechanical property of single-walled carbon nanotubes will be discussed. Specifically, this talk will discuss (1) the influence of the carbon precursor (thiophene) vapor concentration on the formation of the carbon nanotube junctions during the chemical vapor deposition process, (2) the correlation between the electrical property and the structure of the carbon nanotube junctions, and (3) the radial elasticity of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes measured by using atomic force microscopy (AFM).