Band gap engineering of carbon nanotubes using hydrogen ion induced defects

In recent years, carbon nanotubes (CNT) have emerged as a prototype material for nanotechnology because of their outstanding morphological, mechanical, thermal and electronic properties. In this project, we investigate the possibility to modify the electronic characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by introducing atomic defects. We create these defects by exposing the SWNT in ultra high vacuum to low-energy hydrogen ions. The defects which result from this exposure are then analyzed structurally and electronically by lowtemperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (LT-STM/STS). We can show that strong local modification of the electronic structure can be achieved leaving the structural integrity of the SWNT intact, which is a prerequisite for the use in electronic devices.