Observation of quantum transport at room temperature in a 2.8-nanometer CNT transistor: Semiconductor nanochannels created within metallic CNTS by thermally and mechanically altering the helical structure

A research team has developed an in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique that can be used to precisely manipulate individual molecular structures. Using this technique, the team succeeded in fabricating carbon nanotube (CNT) intramolecular transistors by locally altering the CNT's helical structure, thereby making a portion of it to undergo a metal-to-semiconductor transition in a controlled manner.