DNA-Directed Self-Assembly of Highly Ordered and Dense Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Arrays

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT or CNT) have unique and well-known high-performance material properties that can enable revolutionary increases in the performance of electronic devices and architectures. However, fabrication of large-scale SWNT-based ICs is an enormously challenging, unsolved problem, and self-assembly is likely needed for critical steps. Over the past several years, methods have been introduced to created ordered carbon nanotube structures using DNA guided self-assembly. In this chapter, we briefly review the challenges involved in using DNA to assemble SWNT nanostructures, and then give detailed methods to assemble dense, aligned SWNT arrays. In particular, we discuss the preparation of DNA wrapped single-walled nanotubes (DNA-CNTs) using commercial carbon nanotube products that are suitable for electronics applications. Then, we discuss methods to characterize DNA-CNTs using fluid mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). Finally, we give detailed procedures for assembly of DNA-CNTs into dense parallel arrays via linker induced surface assembly (LISA).