University of Illinois researchers have developed a way to heal gaps in wires too small for even the world’s tiniest soldering iron. Led by electrical and computer engineering professor Joseph Lydingand graduate student Jae Won Do, the Illinois team published its results in the journal Nano Letters.
Carbon nanotubes are like tiny hollow wires of carbon just 1 atom thick – similar to graphene but cylindrical. Researchers have been exploring using them as transistors instead of traditional silicon, because carbon nanotubes are easier to transport onto alternate substrates, such as thin sheets of plastic, for low-cost flexible electronics or flat-panel displays.
VIDEO: Carbon nanotubes solder themselves enhancing performance by an order of magnitude
