title: Solution-mediated selective nanosoldering of carbon nanotube junctions for improved device performance.
abstract: As-grown randomly aligned networks of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) invariably suffer from limited transport properties due to high resistance at the crossed junctions between CNTs. In this work, Joule heating of the highly resistive CNT junctions is carried out in the presence of a spin-coated layer of a suitable chemical precursor. The heating triggers thermal decomposition of the chemical precursor, tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium (Pd2(dba)3), and causes local deposition of Pd nanoparticles at the CNT junctions, thereby improving the on/off current ratio and mobility of CNT network devices by an average factor of ∼6. This process can be conducted either in air or under vacuum depending on the characteristics of the precursor species. The solution-mediated nanosoldering process is simple, fast, scalable with manufacturing techniques, and extendable to the nanodeposition of a wide variety of materials.
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Noel N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: ⊥Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: #Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Feifei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Hyeongyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Xiangyun J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Haasch
authors.affiliation: #Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pop
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Girolami
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lyding
keywords: carbon nanotubes (CNT); electrical resistance; intertube junctions; nanosoldering; solution deposition; thermal resistance