Quantitative in-situ scanning electron microscope pull-out experiments and molecular dynamics simulations of carbon nanotubes embedded in palladium

Journal Article · Mon Apr 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4870871· OSTI ID:22273650

Blaudeck, T.; Hermann, S.; Wunderle, B. ^[1]; Hölck, O. ^[1]; Schulz, S. E.; Gessner, T. ^[1]

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1. Technische Universität Chemnitz, Reichenhainer Str. 70, 09126 Chemnitz (Germany)

In this paper, we present our results of experimental and numerical pull-out tests on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in palladium. We prepared simple specimens by employing standard silicon wafers, physical vapor deposition of palladium and deposition of CNTs with a simple drop coating technique. An AFM cantilever with known stiffness connected to a nanomanipulation system was utilized inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as a force sensor to determine forces acting on a CNT during the pull-out process. SEM-images of the cantilever attached to a CNT have been evaluated for subsequent displacement steps with greyscale correlation to determine the cantilever deflection. We compare the experimentally obtained pull-out forces with values of numerical investigations by means of molecular dynamics and give interpretations for deviations according to material impurities or defects and their influence on the pull-out data. We find a very good agreement of force data from simulation and experiment, which is 17 nN and in the range of 10–61 nN, respectively. Our findings contribute to the ongoing research of the mechanical characterization of CNT-metal interfaces. This is of significant interest for the design of future mechanical sensors utilizing the intrinsic piezoresistive effect of CNTs or other future devices incorporating CNT-metal interfaces.

• OSTI ID: 22273650
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CARBON NANOTUBES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CORRELATIONS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
FLEXIBILITY
INTERFACES
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD
PALLADIUM
PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SENSORS
SILICON