Atomistic simulations on the axial nanowelding configuration and contact behavior between Ag nanowire and single-walled carbon nanotubes

As for the interesting new building blocks, the Ag nanowires (AgNWs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as the interesting new building blocks are viewed as the promising candidates for the next-generation interconnects due to their most remarkable electrical, thermal, optical, mechanical, and other properties. The axial nanowelding of head-to-head style and side-to-side style is relatively simulated with the molecular dynamics method. As for the head-to-head structural style, SWNTs will move toward the AgNWs and contact with the head of AgNWs. And, the part of the Ag nanowire may be subsequently encapsulated in SWNT with the core-filling Ag atom chain as the final atomic contact configuration during nanowelding, which is related to the nanowelding temperature. When the SWNTs and AgNWs are arranged by the side-to-side contact style, the SWNTs will move along the SWNT surface and may eventually catch up with the AgNW being neck and neck. Aiming at the final axial atomic configurations and the contact behavior during nanowelding process, the related dominant mechanism is revealed in this paper.