Nanorobotic spot welding: controlled metal deposition with attogram precision from copper-filled carbon nanotubes

With the continuing development of bottom-up nanotechnology fabrication processes, spot welding can play a role similar to its macro counterpart for the interconnection of nano building blocks for the assembly of nanoelectronics and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Spot welding using single-crystalline copper-filled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is investigated experimentally using nanorobotic manipulation inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Controlled melting and flowing of copper inside nanotube shells are realized by applying bias voltages between 1.5 and 2.5 V. The average mass flow rate of the copper was found to be 120 ag/s according to TEM video imaging (measured visually at approximately 11.6 nm/s through the CNT). Successful soldering of a copper-filled CNT onto another CNT shows promise for nano spot welding and thermal dip-pen lithography.