Electric-field-induced formation of carbon nanotube filaments

A gas discharge breakdown generated between a pair of electrodes changes the morphology of the carbon nanotube (CNT) film that covers the electrodes and created many CNT filaments that bridge the electrodes. This phenomenon is promising for fabrication of CNT wiring, CNT spinning and CNT field emitters In this study, we examined morphological change of CNT filaments created by the gas discharge breakdown during those elongation by increase of the interelectrode distance. We report that the CNT filaments broken during those elongation process can be easily reconnected by increasing the applied voltage. This phenomenon originates in those field-induced filament formation mechanism. The detailed process of creation, breaking and reconnection mechanism of the CNT filaments are reported.