Precise Deposition of Carbon Nanotube Bundles by Inkjet-Printing on a CMOS-Compatible Platform

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are ultimately small structures, attractive for future nanoelectronics. CNT-bundles on Si nanostructures can offer an alternative pathway to build hybrid CMOS-compatible devices. To develop a simple method of using such CNT-bundles as transistor channels, we fabricated semiconductor single-walled CNT field-effect transistors using inkjet printing on a CMOS-compatible platform. We investigated a method of producing stable CNT solutions without surfactants, allowing for CNT debundling and dispersion. An inkjet-printing system disperses CNT-networks with ultimately low density (down to discrete CNT-bundles) in Al source-drain gaps of transistors. Despite the small number of networks and random positions, such CNT-bundles provide paths to the flow current. For enhanced controllability, we also demonstrate the manipulation of CNT-networks using an AFM technique.

Automated summary

Carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles can be used to build hybrid CMOS-compatible devices on Si nanostructures. By using inkjet printing, we fabricated semiconductor single-walled CNT field-effect transistors on a CMOS-compatible platform. We developed a method to produce stable CNT solutions without surfactants, allowing for the dispersion of CNT bundles in the source-drain gaps of the transistors, providing paths for current flow.