Characterization of Contact Resistance between Carbon Nanotubes Film and Metal Electrodes

Abstract

Carbon nanotube has attracted great research attentions due to its outstanding electrical, physical, mechanical, chemical properties. Based on its excellent properties, the carbon nanotube is promising nanoscale material for novel electrical, mechanical, chemical, and biological devices and sensors. However, it is very difficult to control the structure of carbon nanotube during synthesis. A carbon nanotubes film has 3 dimensional structures of interwoven carbon nanotubes as well as unique properties such as transparency, flexibility and good electrical conductivity. More importantly, the properties of carbon nanotubes are ensemble averaged in this formation. In this research, we study the contact resistance between carbon nanotubes film and metal electrode. For most of electrical devices using carbon nanotubes film, it is necessary to have metal electrodes on the film for current path. A resistance at the contact lowers the electrical efficiencies of the devices. Therefore, it is important to measure and characterize the contact resistance and lower it for better efficiencies. The device demonstrated in this study using classical technique for metal contacts provides relatively reliable contact resistance measurements for carbon nanotubes film applications.