In situ observation of carbon nanotube yarn during voltage application.
Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns are fabricated by drawing (combined with spinning) from CNT forests and grown on a substrate. Three types of phenomena occur in these CNT yarns with increasing amounts of current: yarn rotation, catalyst evaporation, and breakage of the yarn. These phenomena result from the resistive heating occurring during the current flow, and have been observed in situ under vacuum by transmission electron microscopy. If these CNT yarns are applied to electronic circuits, the rotation and breakage may lead to circuit failure. However, catalyst evaporation is a useful method for purifying CNT yarns without additional treatments prior to yarn fabrication.
Department of Quantum Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan. Electronic address: t.tokunaga@numse.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
Tomoharu
T
Tokunaga
Department of Electric Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushimanaka, 3-1-1, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Yasuhiko
Y
Hayashi
Environment Energy Nanotechnology Research Institute Co., Ltd, Aizome 5263-5, Ikeda-cho, Kitaazumi-gun, Nagano 399-8602, Japan.
Toru
T
Iijima
Department of Electric Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushimanaka, 3-1-1, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Uesugi
Department of Electric Engineering, Okayama University, Tsushimanaka, 3-1-1, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Masaki
M
Unten
Department of Quantum Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan.
Katsuhiro
K
Sasaki
Department of Quantum Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan.
Takahisa
T
Yamamoto
Current; In situ TEM; Nanotube; Voltage; Yarn