Photocurrent imaging of charge transport barriers in carbon nanotube devices.
The realization of high-performance electrical devices incorporating single-wall carbon nanotubes critically depends on the minimization of charge transport barriers in the tubes and at the contacts. Herein we demonstrate photocurrent imaging as a fast and effective tool to locate such barriers within individual metallic nanotubes contacted by metal electrodes. The locally induced photocurrents directly reflect the existence of built-in electric fields associated with the presence of depletion layers at the contacts or structural defects along the tubes.
Balasubramanian
Kannan
K
Max-Planck-Institut für Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Burghard
Marko
M
Kern
Klaus
K
Scolari
Matteo
M
Mews
Alf
A
D017097:Electric Impedance; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004579:Electron Transport; D004581:Electronics; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon