Mechanical characterization of individual polycrystalline carbon tubes for use in electrical nano-interconnects

Ali Khiat (1) , Rene H. Poelma (2) , Guoqi Zhang (2, 3) , Friedjof Heuck (1) , Frans D. Tichelaar (4) , Maria Sarno (5) , Paolo Ciambelli (5) , Sandra Fontorbes (6) , Laurent Arurault (6) , Urs Staufer (1)

1 Precision and microsystems engineering (Delft, The Netherlands)
2 DIMES Centre for SSL Technologie (Delft, the Netherlands)
3 Philips Lighting Laboratory (Eindhoven, The Netherlands)
4 Kavli Institute of Nanoscience
5 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Alimentare (Salerno, Italy)
6 CIRIMAT - Centre interuniversitaire de recherche et d'ingenierie des matériaux

Polycrystalline carbon tubes were generated by CVD inside electrochemically prepared nano-porous anodic aluminium oxide membranes. This method produced nano-tubes without catalyst, featuring polycrystalline and a few layer thick walls. Individual tubes could be isolated and suspended on microfabricated substrates such that they formed single-side clamped beams. These beams were then used to investigate their mechanical properties employing electrostatic forces for bending the tubes beyond their mechanical stability where pull-in occurs, which could be detected by monitoring the current flowing from the tube to the substrate.

Mots clés: Polycrystalline carbon tubes; CVD growth; CNT without catalyst; Mechanical characterization; Electrostatic pull-in measurement

Domaines: Micro et nanotechnologies/Microélectronique

Ali Khiat, Rene H. Poelma, Guoqi Zhang, Friedjof Heuck, Frans D. Tichelaar, et al.. Mechanical characterization of individual polycrystalline carbon tubes for use in electrical nano-interconnects. Microelectronic Engineering, 2012, 98, pp.317-320. ⟨10.1016/j.mee.2012.07.087⟩. ⟨hal-03528829⟩