High sensitivity temperature sensor based on a long, suspended single-walled carbon nanotube array

Considering the electron-phonon scattering mechanisms as well as the number of conduction channels, the long single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) has larger temperature coefficient of resistivity than that of the short SWCNT or that of the multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT). A tens of micrometres length, suspended SWCNT array-based temperature sensor was proposed, and its fabrication technique was presented. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results showed that the long SWCNT array device had high sensitivity and low power consumption than ordinary platinum thermal resistor. The long SWCNT array sensor also featured a simple and application-oriented process and was easier to use than a single CNT-based device. Thus, it has the potential to be applied in high sensitivity temperatures or flow measurements in an ultra small scale.