A quarterly research and development magazine
Technical contact
François Léonard
(925) 294-351
fleonar@sandia.gov
Media contact
Neal Singer
(505) 845-7078 nsinger@sandia.gov
In his upcoming book, Sandia researcher François Léonard examines the physics of carbon nanotubes and investigates their future in semiconductor electronics, flat-panel displays, and chemical and biological sensors.
Carbon nanotubes are long thin cylinders composed entirely of carbon atoms. While nanotube diameters are in the nanometer range (1-10), they can be up to centimeters in length. The strong carbon-carbon bond makes carbon nanotubes resistant to any kind of deformation. Carbon nanotubes are unique because they can be either metallic or semiconducting.
Nanotubes may someday have application in energy-related research and products such as solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, and capacitors, Léonard says.
He says carbon nanotubes also hold promise as a material for semiconductor electronics, which could lead to the development of new nanoelectronic devices. "Carbon nanotubes create transistors that are only one nanometer wide," says Léonard. "This makes it possible, in principle, to achieve high device densities compared with the current state of the art."
Currently, Léonard is investigating optical detection using carbon nanotubes. Nano-tubes’ electronic properties favor light absorption, which can be controlled with nanotubes of different diameters. The fabrication process for a semiconducting optical nanotube detector would be compatible with fabrication processes used by the semiconductor industry.
Nanotubes also hold promise in flat-panel devices. Flat panel displays are typically made from a high density of sharp tips, to which high voltage is applied to extract electrons. These electrons strike and activate the pixels in the screen. Carbon nanotubes can serve as the emitters because they are sharp, long, and can sustain high fields and high temperatures.
Another potential use is in chemical and biological sensors. Carbon nanotubes are small and can serve as sensitive detectors, able to detect a single molecule of a target substance. Nanotubes can also be used for DNA detection.