An international consortium of researchers believes its electron-beam method for joining nanotubes could be applied to the construction of ultradense circuits. Rather than add a "glue" material between nanotubes, the electron beam knocks out atoms from between touching nanotubes. The tubes heal the defect by sharing an atom and thereby create a weld between them.
Researchers from Belgium, England, France, Germany, Mexico and the United States cooperated to demonstrate how the welding technique can yield both crossbar and transistor-like three-terminal devices.
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