Method to make and use long single-walled carbon nanotubes as electrical conductors

[0027]FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary method of synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes. The methods disclosed herein can also be modified to form multi-walled carbon nanotubes. In step 110, a substrate 10 is prepared according to cleanroom standards. The substrate 10 can comprise a lower, primary layer 15 and an upper, insulating layer 17. The primary layer 15 of the substrate 10 preferably includes silicon (Si). The insulating layer 17 can comprise a material such as silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), or the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate is a four inch silicon wafer with a 500 nm thick silicon dioxide (SiO2) film. The silicon wafer can be of any form known in the art. In one exemplary embodiment, the silicon wafer is a 100, p-type with a resistivity of about 12-16 kΩ-cm. The substrate 10 can also be comprised of other suitable materials such as a glass, a ceramic, a sapphire, a metal, a semiconductor material, or other materials known in the art.

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