Carbon nanotube sensor and method of producing the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES A carbon nanotube sensor and a method of producing the carbon nanotube sensor are disclosed.
The sensor detects a small particle or molecule.
To accomplish this, the sensor includes a gate, a source and a drain positioned on the gate, and a carbon nanotube.
The carbon nanotube is grown from a catalytic material and extends from one of the source and the drain.
The method includes the step of functionalizing an end of the carbon nanotube.
More specifically, a functional receptor is disposed at an end of the carbon nanotube such that the carbon nanotube, now functionalized, is receptive to at least one of the small particle and the molecule.
Next, the functionalized carbon nanotube is driven in a resonance, and then the resonance of the functionalized carbon nanotube is measured when the end of the functionalized carbon nanotube is free of the small particle and the molecule.
The method further includes the step of monitoring for a change in the resonance.
The carbon nanotube resonates at a first resonance frequency when the functional receptor at the end of the carbon nanotube is free of the small particle and the molecule, and the carbon nanotube resonates at a second resonance frequency that is different from the first resonance frequency when at least one of the small particle and the molecule is associated with the functional receptor at the end of the carbon nanotube.
Monitoring for the change in the resonance, detects the association of at least one of the small particle and the molecule with the end of the functionalized carbon nanotube.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides a method of producing a carbon nanotube sensor that is assists in the detection of various small particles and molecules, especially the small particles and molecules that are important to detect in the medical, biological, and military industries.
The method of the subject invention also enables mass production of the carbon nanotube sensors in a fashion that is similar to the production of conventional integrated circuits by permitting a large array of millions of single carbon nanotube sensors