Evaluation of the nanotube intrinsic resistance across the tip-carbon nanotube-metal substrate junction by Atomic Force Microscopy

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 335
• Main Authors: Dominiczak, Maguy, Otubo, Larissa, Alamarguy, David, Houzé, Frédéric, Volz, Sebastian, Noël, Sophie, Bai, Jinbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer New York 14.04.2011; BioMed Central Ltd; SpringerOpen; Springer
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Engineering Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; Library and information sciences; Materials Science; Micro and nanotechnologies; Microelectronics; Molecular Medicine; Nano Express; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Electrical Image; Contact Resistance; Resistance Image; DDAB; Atomic Force Microscope; CVD; NRAMs; contact electrical resistance conductive probe atomic force microscopy; NEMS; MWCNTs; MWCNT; multi-walled carbon nanotubes
• ISSN: 1556-276X; 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-6-335

Using an atomic force microscope (AFM) at a controlled contact force, we report the electrical signal response of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) disposed on a golden thin film. In this investigation, we highlight first the theoretical calculation of the contact resistance between two types of conductive tips (metal-coated and doped diamond-coated), individual MWCNTs and golden substrate. We also propose a circuit analysis model to schematize the «tip-CNT-substrate» junction by means of a series-parallel resistance network. We estimate the contact resistance R of each contribution of the junction such as R tip-CNT , R CNT-substrate and R tip-substrate by using the Sharvin resistance model. Our final objective is thus to deduce the CNT intrinsic radial resistance taking into account the calculated electrical resistance values with the global resistance measured experimentally. An unwished electrochemical phenomenon at the tip apex has also been evidenced by performing measurements at different bias voltages with diamond tips. For negative tip-substrate bias, a systematic degradation in color and contrast of the electrical cartography occurs, consisting of an important and non-reversible increase of the measured resistance. This effect is attributed to the oxidation of some amorphous carbon areas scattered over the diamond layer covering the tip. For a direct polarization, the CNT and substrate surface can in turn be modified by an oxidation mechanism.