Controllable Assembly of SWCNTs Using Dielectrophoresis in a Microchannel

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are onedimensional nanomaterials with potential applications in nanoelectronic devices, nanoactuator systems, and nanosensors. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has proven to be one of the most useful methods for simultaneously aligning and assembling SWCNTs between two electrodes. Despite the promise of highly efficient DEP-based manipulation, several challenges need to be resolved to realize the practical integration of SWCNTs in nanodevices. In this work, a microchannel is introduced to realize the large-scale assembly of SWCNTs using DEP. The advantage of microchannel–based DEP manipulation is that it allows for the assembly of SWCNTs in a localized area. This usually includes rinsing the electrodes, transferring the SWCNT solution and removing the surfactant molecules. Moreover, the present method provides high precision control of the number and positions of the assembled SWCNTs.