Electrical Resistance Characterization of Strain-Induced Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Using MEMS-Based Strain Engineering Device

In this research, we clarified the electrical resistance change and mechanical properties of strain induced multiwalled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs), synthesized by atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using a MEMS-based strain engineering device mounted on an in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) nanomanipulation system. The Young's modulus of an individual MWCNT and its shear strength during interlayer sliding deformation were estimated from the load displacement curve. The electrical resistance of the MWCNT was 215 kW without strain, while an anomalous electrical resistance change was observed under a large strain. The resistance change ratio was almost 0 during the interlayer sliding of the MWCNT, but it specifically showed a sharp increase at the end of the sliding in spite of the MWCNT not breaking mechanically. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provided us with a reasonable suggestion that the hard sticking with an atomic reconfiguration at the edge of the outer layer of the MWCNT induces the sharp increase in electrical resistance before the mechanical breaking of the MWCNT.