Carbon nanotube structures and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

Carbon nanotube structures which enhances handling of carbon nanotubes, enabling them to be applied in a wide variety fields such as electronic devices, functional materials, and structural materials containing carbon nanotubes, and a method for producing them are provided. A method for manufacturing carbon nanotube structures includes the step of forming liquid bridges of a liquid at gaps among plural objects and/or at plural gaps among portions of an object. The plural carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the liquid and linked together, then arranged structurally to the liquid bridges, and the carbon nanotube structures are manufactured in this way.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Carbon nanotube structures, comprising plural carbon nanotubes linked together and arranged along a pattern of liquid bridges formed among plural objects and/or among plural portions of an object.  
     
     
         2 . The carbon nanotube structures according to  claim 1 , wherein the plural carbon nanotubes are structured and arranged into matrixes.  
     
     
         3 . The carbon nanotube structures according to  claim 1 , wherein the plural carbon nanotubes are formed and arranged with hollows.  
     
     
         4 . The carbon nanotube structures according to  claim 1 , wherein different objects are disposed at gaps among the carbon nanotubes and/or in a vicinity of the gaps.  
     
     
         5 . The carbon nanotube structures according to  claim 4 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are closely engaged to each other through an intervention of the different kind of objects to solidify into the structures.