Quasi-Langmuir-Blodgett thin film deposition of carbon nanotubes

The handling and manipulation of carbon nanotubes continues to be a challenge to those interested in the application potential of these promising materials. To this end, we have developed a method to deposit pure nonoriented nanotube films over large flat areas on substrates of arbitrary composition. The method bears some resemblance to the Langmuir-Blodgett deposition method used to lay down thin organic layers. We show that this redeposition technique causes no major changes in the films' microstructure and that they retain the electronic properties of as-deposited films laid down on an alumina membrane. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.