Carbon nanotube-based hot-film and temperature sensor assembled by optically-induced dielectrophoresis

Abstract

The development of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors remains an active area of research. Towards this end, a new method for manipulating CNTs, assembling CNT networks and fabricating CNT-based nanosensors was demonstrated in this study. CNTs were collected and concentrated by optically-induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) forces and aligned between a pair of electrodes. This assembly was then used directly as a temperature sensor and a hot-film anemometer, which detects changes in windspeed. By offering efficient CNT collection and ready-to-use sensor fabrication, this ODEP-based approach presents a promising method for the development of CNT-based sensing applications and massively parallel assembly of CNT-lines. The developed CNT-based nanosensors may be used to measure the temperature and the flow velocity of bio-samples in the near future. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2014.