Dielectrophoretic batch fabrication of bundled carbon nanotube thermal sensors

We present a feasible technology for batch assembly of carbon nanotube (CNT) devices by utilizing ac electrophoretic technique to manipulate multiwalled bundles on an Si/SiO₂ substrate. Based on this technique, CNTs were successfully and repeatably manipulated between microfabricated electrodes. By using this parallel assembly process, we have investigated the possibility of batch fabricating functional CNT devices when an ac electrical field is applied to an array of microelectrodes that are electrically connected together. Preliminary experimental results showed that over 70% of CNT functional devices can be assembled successfully using our technique, which is considered to be a good yield for nanodevices manufacturing. Besides, the devices were demonstrated to potentially serve as novel thermal sensors with low power consumption (∼microwatts) with electronic circuit response of approximately 100 kHz in constant current mode operation. In this paper, we will present the fabrication process of this feasible batch manufacturable method for functional CNT-based thermal sensors, which will dramatically reduce production costs and production time of nanosensing devices and potentially enable fully automated assembly of CNT-based devices. Experimental results from the thermal sensors fabricated by this batch process will also be discussed.