Method for reducing contact resistance of a thermally and electrically conductive structure comprising carbon nanotube
View Patent ↗A thermally and electrically conductive structure comprises a carbon nanotube ( 110 ) having an outer surface ( 111 ) and a carbon coating ( 120 ) covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the carbon nanotube. The carbon coating may be applied to the carbon nanotube by providing a nitrile-containing polymer, coating the carbon nanotube with the nitrile-containing polymer, and pyrolyzing the nitrile-containing polymer in order to form the carbon coating on the carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube may further be coated with a low contact resistance layer ( 130 ) exterior to the carbon coating and a metal layer ( 140 ) exterior to the low contact resistance layer.
1. A method of reducing a contact resistance of a carbon nanotube, the method comprising:
providing a nitrile-containing polymer;
coating the carbon nanotube with the nitrile-containing polymer;
pyrolyzing the nitrile-containing polymer in order to form a carbon coating on the carbon nanotube;
forming a low contact resistance layer exterior to the carbon coating; and
forming a metal layer exterior to the low contact resistance layer.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
performing an acid treatment on the carbon nanotube.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein:
pyrolyzing the nitrile-containing polymer comprises pyrolyzing the nitrile-containing polymer in a tube furnace at a temperature of not more than approximately 700 degrees Celsius for approximately six hours in argon.