High yield fabrication of semiconducting thin-film field-effect transistors based on chemically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes

Here we report a simple and scalable method to fabricate high performance thin-film field-effect transistors (FETs) with high yield based on chemically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by organic radical initiators. The UV-Vis-NIR spectra, Raman spectra and electrical characterization demonstrated that metallic species in CoMoCat 65 and HiPco SWNTs could be effectively eliminated after reaction with some organic radical initiators. The effects of the substrate properties on the electrical properties of FET devices were investigated, and the results showed that the electrical properties of FET devices fabricated on high hydrophobic substrates were better than those on low hydrophobic substrates. Furthermore, it was found that FET devices based on 1,1'-azobis(cyanocyclohexane)(ACN)-modified CoMoCat 65 SWNTs exhibited more excellent electrical performance with effective mobility of similar to 11.8 cm(2)/Vs and on/off ratio of similar to 2x10(5) as compared with benzoyl peroxide (BPO)-modified CoMoCat 65 SWNTs and lauoryl peroxideand (LPO)-modified HiPco SWNTs, likely due to the introduction of the electron-withdrawing groups (CN group) on the SWNT surface. This method does not require nontrivial reaction conditions or complicated purification after reaction, therefore promising low-cost production of high-performance devices for macroelectronics.