Polyaniline nanotube composites: A high-resolution printable conductor

Polyaniline/single wall carbon nanotube composites were prepared to be used as printable conductors for organic electronics devices. We show here that the high aspect ratio of single wall carbon nanotubes enables percolation into a conducting network at extremely low nanotube concentration. The nature of the transport mechanism is revealed by the temperature dependence of the conductivity of these percolating composites. We demonstrate here that these thin composite films are printable via laser ablation with high resolution while retaining appropriate conductivity. The utility of these findings is illustrated by printing structures, which could serve as a source and drain with 7 mum channel and 2 S/cm conductivity for use in plastic transistors. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.