title: Laser Lithography of a Tube-in-a-Tube Nanostructure.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes hold vast potential for device innovations because their optical and electronic properties can be synthetically tailored at a length scale unattainable by lithographic techniques. However, lithographic patterning of carbon nanotubes with electronic-type control remains one of the major problems for the integration of these nanomaterials for practical device applications. In this work, we propose a laser lithography method for direct-write patterning of devices on thin films of outer wall selectively functionalized double-walled carbon nanotubes (Tube^2). This method is enabled by the reversible removal of surface functional groups with a laser tuned into resonance with the inner tube of Tube^2. We show that it is possible to directly create patterned dot arrays and conductive pathways and circuits on insulating Tube^2 thin films by tuning the resonance of the direct-writing laser with the electronic type of the inner tube (i.e., metallic or semiconducting). The successful patterning was unambiguously confirmed with in situ Raman spectral imaging and electrical characterization. This work suggests the possibility of developing a nanostructure-specific nanofabrication technology reminiscent of thermal printing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Allen L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: YuHuang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5664-1849
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004560:Electricity; D007368:Interferometry; D007834:Lasers; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011327:Printing; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon
keywords: device chemistry; double-walled carbon nanotube; nanofabrication; nanomaterials; optical selectivity; thin film