Controlled deposition of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes on chemically functionalized templates

Carbon nanotubes offer great promise as molecular wires because they exhibi t high electrical conductivity and chemical stability. However, constructin g nanotube-based electronic devices requires a controlled means of assembli ng the tubes. We report procedures both for producing individual short SWNT segments and for their reliable deposition on chemically functionalized na nolithographic templates. Using this method, we have positioned individual nanotubes at specific locations and orientations in such a way that the nan otubes contact metal electrodes. This discovery is potentially very importa nt for fabrication of simple electrical circuits with nanotubes, and provid es a new tool for study of electron transport in nanotubes. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.