Temperature effects on resistance of aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube films

Electrical transport in vertically aligned films of multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been investigated in the -150 degrees C to 300 degrees C temperature range (all the tests were conducted in air at atmospheric pressure). In all the cases, the nanotube film exhibited a semi-conducting behavior, with the film resistance decreasing with increasing temperature. Removal of amorphous carbon contamination (via plasma etching) significantly improved the nanotube film's sensitivity to temperature changes (particularly in the 20 degrees C to 200 degrees C temperature range). All the of films tested in this study showed a consistent, repeatable behavior that was independent of the nanotube film length. The temperature sensitivity of the nanotube films was also found to be independent of the heating/cooling rates and without hysteresis. Because of the excellent repeatability and stability of the results, it is conceived that miniaturized temperature sensors could be designed using such aligned multiwalled nanotube films.