title: Aligned carbon nanotube-polymer hybrid architectures for diverse flexible electronic applications.
abstract: We present the fabrication and electrical characterization of a flexible hybrid composite structure using aligned multiwall carbon nanotube arrays in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrix. Using lithographically patterned nanotube arrays, one can make these structures at any length scale from submicrometer levels to bulk quantities. The PDMS matrix undergoes excellent conformal filling within the dense nanotube network, giving rise to extremely flexible conducting structures with unique electromechanical properties. We demonstrate its robustness against high stress conditions, under which the composite is found to retain its conducting nature. We also demonstrate that these structures can be utilized directly as flexible field-emission devices. Our devices show some of the best field-enhancement factors and turn-on electric fields reported so far.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jungy@coe.neu.edu
authors.forename: Yung Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Swastik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: Saikat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talapatra
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soldano
authors.forename: Gunaranjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.forename: Xuesong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhaoling
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Fung Suong
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avadhanula
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vajtai
authors.forename: Seamus
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.forename: Omkaram
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nalamasu
authors.forename: Pulickel M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ajayan