Directed Growth of C60 Nanowhiskers for Millimetre-Wave Detectors

The formation of C60 nanowhiskers via the liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation technique presents a low-cost means of fabricating nanostructured fibres for use as active or passive elements in a number of possible applications. Recent measurements [9] have reported encouraging electrical characteristics that indicate the possibility of using C60 nanowhiskers to realise electronic devices with switching or sensing capabilities. In this work, we focus on one application in particular – millimetre-wave power detectors. Traditional detectors based on Schottky junctions have difficulty impedance matching over very wide video bandwidths, in addition to insensitivity to very low power signals and high susceptibility to thermal and shot noise. C60 nanowhiskers offer the possibility of realising low-cost, robust, sensitive millimetre-wave detectors with significantly reduced shunt capacitance and improved noise performance. Before this can be achieved, however, techniques are needed to control growth parameters and eliminate assembly through in-situ growth. Here, results are presented showing the influence of DC electric fields on C60 molecules and nanowhiskers. Early indications suggest that alignment parallel to DC electric fields is possible.