Method for assembling carbon nanotubes and microprobe and an apparatus thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for assembling carbon nanotubes and microprobe, which employs the Electrophoresis or Dielectrophoresis principles to drive the carbon nanotubes self-assembling the microprobe under an electric field. The method comprises the steps of: forming at least one microprobe, the microprobe being covered by a conductive layer; exposing the microprobe to a solution having carbon nanotubes spreading therein, the solution being furnished with an electrode; applying a predetermined voltage between the conductive layer and the electrode, making at least one carbon nanotube to move and attach onto the top of the microprobe.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for assembling carbon nanotubes and microprobes, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for assembling carbon nanotubes and microprobes capable of employing the principles of Electrophoresis / Dielectrophoresis to drive the carbon nanotubes self-assembling the microprobe under an electric field. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Carbon nanotubes are single-layered / multilayered tubular carbon molecules that have properties that make them potentially useful in nanotechnology. They exhibit unusual strength and unique electrical properties, and are extremely efficient conductors of heat A nanotube is a structure similar to a fullerene, only the carbon atoms are rolled into a cylinder instead of a sphere; each end is capped with half a fullerene molecule. They are only several nanometers wide, and their length can be millions of times greater than their width, that is, several micrometers...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for assembling a carbon nanotube and a microprobe capable of

Problems solved by technology

However, due to the tiny diameter of the carbon nanotubes, it is difficult to assembly a carbon nanotube to a microprobe.

Such conventional techniques will have difficulties when depositing carbon nanotubes on a large-scale substrate under low temperature.

Furthermore, the catalyst is usually made of materials such as iron, nickel, or molybdenum, etc., in nanometer-sized powder which are not only expensive, but also will generate by-products like crystal or non-crystal carbides and residual catalyst during the process of carbon nanotube deposition.

Therefore, an additional purification processes will be needed and the difficulty of the whole process also increase.

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