Thin film nanotube transistors based on self-assembled, aligned, semiconducting carbon nanotube arrays.
Thin film transistors (TFTs) are now poised to revolutionize the display, sensor, and flexible electronics markets. However, there is a limited choice of channel materials compatible with low-temperature processing. This has inhibited the fabrication of high electrical performance TFTs. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have very high mobilities and can be solution-processed, making thin film CNT-based TFTs a natural direction for exploration. The two main challenges facing CNT-TFTs are the difficulty of placing and aligning CNTs over large areas and low on/off current ratios due to admixture of metallic nanotubes. Here, we report the self-assembly and self-alignment of CNTs from solution into micron-wide strips that form regular arrays of dense and highly aligned CNT films covering the entire chip, which is ideally suitable for device fabrication. The films are formed from pre-separated, 99% purely semiconducting CNTs and, as a result, the CNT-TFTs exhibit simultaneously high drive currents and large on/off current ratios. Moreover, they deliver strong photocurrents and are also both photo- and electroluminescent.
Engel
Michael
M
IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.
Small
Joshua P
JP
Steiner
Mathias
M
Freitag
Marcus
M
Green
Alexander A
AA
Hersam
Mark C
MC
Avouris
Phaedon
P
D004563:Electrochemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry; D045663:Quantum Dots; D014173:Transistors, Electronic
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon