As technological devices become increasingly smaller, researchers at UB have determined a new way to conduct electricity on a microscopic scale.
???UB researchers discovered that Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) make excellent conductors, according to Cemal Basaran, professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering and director of the Electronics Packaging Lab in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
???"A carbon nanotube is 20 times better [a] conductor than copper or gold," Basaran said. "This is because of the lack of scattering mechanism and the lack of internal friction between electrons and atoms."
???Carbon nanotubes can be used in any type of electronic device and will allow for electronics to be smaller than ever through the use of SWCNTs in circuits, according to Basaran.
???Tarek Ragab, Basaran's doctoral student in the Department of Civil Engineering, participated in the research of the thin, hollow-tubed SWCNTs, invisible to most detection technologies.
???"Through the use of an optical microscope, we can see a human cell, but not a carbon nanotube," Ragab said. "This shows how small a nanotube is. However, it can be viewed in an atomic force microscope or a scanning electron microscope."
???Even though carbon nanotubes are small, they are 100 times stronger than structural steel because a carbon-carbon bond is the strongest bond known to mankind, Basaran explained. Carbon nanotubes also produce a minimal amount of friction, unlike metals that can overheat, and can carry large amounts of current.
???"Carbon nanotubes are man-made, and can be grown like flowers in any desired shape," Basaran said. "Nanotubes are environmentally friendly because carbon is the most fundamental element in nature."
???According to Basaran, carbon nanotubes are a cost-effective alternative to metals and are much cheaper than copper or aluminum. Presently, copper and aluminum are the primary conductor materials used for electronics.
???Basaran is interested in using carbon nanotubes one at a time in integrated circuits for computer chips. Carbon nanotube research in U.S. electronic companies is relatively small compared to Asian competitors, according to Basaran. He expects Japanese and Korean companies to begin using nanotubes in electronics within the next five years.
???In addition, Basaran has applied for a patent and will give a Key Note Lecture at the Emerging Technologies Symposium, which is a part of the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, held by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers this November in Orlando, Fla.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
