We demonstrate the ability to precisely control the deposition of a defined number of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from solution onto microfabricated electrodes using dielectrophoresis. The solvation shelf around the CNTs, exhibiting a high dielectric constant which is possibly larger than the intrinsic dielectric constant of CNTs, is found to play a crucial role in electrophoretic processes. Substrate resistivity is also. very important: The spatial repartition of the electric field between the substrate and the microelectrodes leads to deviations from the precise location of the CNTs. A recipe is given for the dielectrophoresis of CNTs which can be extended to other nanowires or nanotubes.
Type
research article
Web of Science ID
WOS:000273863400036
Publication date
2010
Published in
Volume
4
Issue
1
Start page
279
End page
284
Peer reviewed
REVIEWED
EPFL units
Available on Infoscience
February 26, 2010
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