Synthesis and device integration of carbon nanotube/silica core-shell nanowires

On the basis of high-density and uniform assembly of Au nanoparticles on carbon nanotube (CNT) surface and subsequently the convenient chemical vapor deposition technique, the nanowires with carbon nanotube core and uniform silica insulating shell were controllably synthesized and then efficiently integrated into top-gated FETs. The study provides a simpler, lower-cost, and more controllable methodology for the uniform coating/functionalizing of CNTs with shell layer materials such as oxide gate-dielectrics. Moreover, the as-synthesized core-shell nanowires, with inherent gate-dielectric shell layer, provide a new opportunity for efficiently and conveniently fabricating of top-gated CNTFETs and other vertical surround-gated CNTFET devices, thus making for the development of more highly integrated circuits.