Carbon-based nanostructures as interconnects in electrical and biological systems

Recent fundamental studies have given rise to the emergence of new applications for carbon-based nanostructures in electrical and biological systems. In this paper, our recent work investigating the utility of carbon nanotube (CNT) and carbon nanofiber (CNF) devices in electrical and biological interconnect systems is reviewed. Electrical and structural characterizations of carbon nanostructure arrays are performed to assess the viability of these novel forms of carbon for interconnect applications. Structural information of carbon nanofiber arrays obtained with high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) are correlated with electrical characteristics using a semi-empirical model developed based on graphite conduction principles. Concurrently, a microelectrode array consisting of a two-dimensional (2D) pattern of CNT recording sites is used to detect the electrical signals in embryonic rat hippocampal neurons in vitro. This experiment demonstrates the viability of using CNT to electrically probe living cells.