According to the recent tests carried out at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the dependability of carbon nanotube-based devices is a critical problem when used in nanoscale electronic applications.
Micrograph of recession and clumping in gold electrodes
Theoretically, carbon nanotubes can conduct 1,000 times more electric current when compared to a metal conductor of the equal size. During the tests, the NIST scientists created and investigated various carbon nanotube inter links between metal electrodes. The test results revealed that carbon nanotubes can maintain ultra-high current densities for quite some hours but gradually degrade under a steady current. The metal electrodes fail when currents increase over a certain threshold value, resulting in the failure of the circuits in nearly 40 h.
NIST is devising various measurement and study technologies and is investigating the interfaces of metals and nanotubes and between various nanotubes. In another associated study, the researchers observed failures in carbon nanotube networks where electrons physically jump between the tubes.
NIST has devised electrical stress tests, which relate expectedness of failure, initial resistance to degradation rate and total operating life of the device. The tests can be utilized to improve the creation and dependability of nanotube networks. NIST postdoctoral researcher, Mark Strus believes that carbon nanotube networks would be suitable for certain electronic applications. They can be used as interlinks for photovoltaics or flexible electronic displays, he said. Largely, the NIST tests will make nanotube materials to qualify for future-generation electronics.