Carbon nanotubes
Because of their unusual physical properties carbon nanotubes are considered to
be one of the most important materials of the 21st century. Carbon nanotubes are
build from graphitic carbon. They are about 1 nanometer in diameter and they can be up to several
micrometers or even millimeters long. There are single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
Carbon nanotubes exhibit outstanding mechanical and electrical properties and are promising candidates for
many applications in nanotechnology. Nanotubes can support very high current densities and therefore semiconductor
companies work on nanotube interconnects between transistors for the next chip generation, on fast low-loss transistors
for high integration-density circuits, and on devices for spintronics. Other companies develop nanotube-based
chemical and biosensors, transparent electrodes for solar cells and light demitting diodes, membranes for fuel cells,
applications in printed circuit boards, nanoelectromechanical sensors and actuators and many others.
As an introductory article in carbon nanotubes see e.g. the key-word "Nanoröhrchen"
in Lexikon der Physik (Spektrum Akademischer Verlag Heidelberg, Berlin.)