Evidence for Metal-Semiconductor Transitions in Twisted and Collapsed Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Cristina E. Giusca, Yann Tison† and S. Ravi P. Silva‡
Nano-Electronics Centre, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
Nano Lett., 2008, 8 (10), pp 3350–3356
DOI: 10.1021/nl801782k
Publication Date (Web): September 11, 2008
Copyright © 2008 American Chemical Society
†

Present address: Technical University of Denmark, Department of Physics, Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.

,
‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: s.silva@surrey.ac.uk.

Abstract

Abstract Image

The atomic and electronic structure of a twisted and collapsed double-walled carbon nanotube was characterized using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. It was found that the deformation opens an electronic band gap in an otherwise metallic nanotube, which has major ramifications on the use of carbon nanotubes for electronic applications. Fundamentally, the importance of the intershell interaction in this double-walled carbon nanotube points to the potential of a reversible metal-semiconductor junction, which can have device applications, as well as a caution in the design of semiconductor components based on carbon nanotubes. Lattice registry effects between the two neighboring walls evidenced by atomically resolved images confirm earlier first principle calculations indicating that the helicity influences the collapsed structure and show excellent agreement with the predicted twisted-collapse mode.

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History

  • Published In Issue October 08, 2008
  • Article ASAPSeptember 11, 2008
  • Received: June 20, 2008
    Revised: August 01, 2008

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