Contacts, non-linear transport effects and failure in multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Pristine arc-produced multi-walled carbon nanotubes are contacted to liquid mercury in situ in a transmission electron microscope. The conductance G(V) for all tubes increases with increasing bias voltage V. This is related to the electronic density of the nanotubes. Similar G(V) behaviour is observed for HOPG-graphite contacted in air with Hg, with dG(V)/dV∼0.3G0. Variations observed in the conductance are related to nanotube-Hg contact effects. For tubes barely touching the Hg surface, the conductance is low (typically G(V=0)∼0.1-0.5G0); G(V) may maximize around V=1.5-2 V or continue to increase linearly depending on the MWNT-Hg contact. For good contacts the maximum low-bias conductance is 1G0. Non-conducting tubes are observed having a low-bias conductance smaller than 10-3G0. High-voltage tube failure usually occurs at the contact with Hg for clean tubes, or at tube defects. An important phenomenon is the formation of a Hg bubble near the contact nanotube-Hg surface when the nanotube is negatively biased, under high bias current conditions, indicating the heating effect of hot electrons injected into the mercury