Atomically Resolved Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Intramolecular Junctions

Intramolecular junctions in single-walled carbon nanotubes are potentially ideal structures for building robust, molecular-scale electronics but have only been studied theoretically at the atomic level. Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to determine the atomic structure and electronic propertie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2001-01, Vol.291 (5501), p.97-100
Main Authors: Ouyang, Min, Huang, Jin-Lin, Cheung, Chin Li, Lieber, Charles M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic structure
Atoms & subatomic particles
Carbon
Carbon nanotubes
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Electron states and collective excitations in thin films, multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic and nanoscale systems
Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures
Electronic structure of nanoscale materials: clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocrystals
Electronics
Energy
Exact sciences and technology
Exhibits
Hydrogen bonds
Miniaturization (Electronics)
Molecular biology
Molecular structure
Molecules
Nanotechnology
Nanotubes
Physics
Protons
Quantum tunneling
Semiconductors
Spectroscopy
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Summary:Intramolecular junctions in single-walled carbon nanotubes are potentially ideal structures for building robust, molecular-scale electronics but have only been studied theoretically at the atomic level. Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to determine the atomic structure and electronic properties of such junctions in single-walled nanotube samples. Metal-semiconductor junctions are found to exhibit an electronically sharp interface without localized junction states, whereas a more diffuse interface and low-energy states are found in metal-metal junctions. Tight-binding calculations for models based on observed atomic structures show good agreement with spectroscopy and provide insight into the topological defects forming intramolecular junctions. These studies have important implications for applications of present materials and provide a means for assessing efforts designed to tailor intramolecular junctions for nanoelectronics.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.291.5501.97