Carbon Nanotube Spintronics

Date:

2009-2011

Theme:

Nanoelectronics

Carbon Nanotubes have generated a great deal of interest due to their extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electronic properties and they are being researched as a potential replacement for Si for future electronic devices. However, there are significant problems in nanotube growth, positioning and contacting that remain to be solved.

Previous work involving electrodeposition of Ni on Si has shown that the characteristics of the schottky barrier formed are superior to those formed by evaporation. Palladium has been shown to form very good contacts to carbon nanotubes. By electrodepositing PdNi alloys, it may be possible to get ferromagnetic contacts to nanotubes with superior contacting properties compared to current methods.

This project will investigate the use of electrodeposited PdNi metallic contacts to carbon nanotubes and investigate if this method results in the formation of better contacts as compared to evaporated alloys. The presence of Ni in the alloys will also allow a study magnetoresistance effects in nanotubes with electrodeposited ferromagnetic contacts.

Primary investigator

• aru07r

Associated research groups

• Nano Research Group
• Southampton Nanofabrication Centre