Why nano-oxidation with carbon nanotube probes is so stable: I. Linkage between hydrophobicity and stability.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) probes enhance the stability of the nano-oxidation process under dynamic-mode operation. In this paper we investigate how the hydrophobic nature of the CNT allows oxide nanostructures to be fabricated with constant aspect ratio over a wide range of relative humidity values. In particular, we characterize oxide growth by measuring both the integrated ionic current and volume expansion. Behaviour of different CNT probes was compared to assess individual stability and performance under identical voltage and humidity conditions. While much remains to be established about the relationship between exposure conditions and dynamic-mode parameters on nanoscale oxide fabrication, hydrophobicity is a key factor in the improved reliability of CNT probes over conventional ones.