Anupama B Kaul 2009 Nanotechnology 20 155501 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/20/15/155501
Anupama B Kaul
Show affiliationsA carbon nanotube thermal-conductivity-based pressure or gas sensor is described, which utilizes 5–10 µm long, diffusively contacted single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs). Low temperature electrical transport measurements for these tubes were suggestive of a thermally activated hopping mechanism for electron localization, where a hopping energy of ~39 meV was computed. A negative differential conductance regime was also detected in suspended tubes, released using critical point drying, at high bias voltages. The pressure or gas sensitivity increased more dramatically as the bias power was increased up to 14 µW, which was interpreted in the context of the high optical phonon density in the suspended SWNTs. Such devices are promising for use as pressure sensors, as well as for the chemical identification of species having differing gas thermal conductivities.
07.07.Df Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing
65.80.+n Thermal properties of small particles, nanocrystals, nanotubes
72.20.Ee Mobility edges; hopping transport
66.70.-f Nonelectronic thermal conduction and heat-pulse propagation in solids; thermal waves
82.80.-d Chemical analysis and related physical methods of analysis
Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical
Instrumentation and measurement
Condensed matter: structural, mechanical & thermal
Issue 15 (15 April 2009)
Received 16 January 2009, in final form 4 March 2009
Published 24 March 2009
Anupama B Kaul 2009 Nanotechnology 20 155501
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