Nanoscale thermocapillarity enabled purification for horizontally aligned arrays of single walled carbon nanotubes

Sung Hun Jin, Simon Dunham, Xu Xie, John A. Rogers

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Among the remarkable variety of semiconducting nanomaterials that have been discovered over the past two decades, single-walled carbon nanotubes remain uniquely well suited for applications in high-performance electronics, sensors and other technologies. The most advanced opportunities demand the ability to form perfectly aligned, horizontal arrays of purely semiconducting, chemically pristine carbon nanotubes. Here, we present strategies that offer this capability. Nanoscale thermos-capillary flows in thin-film organic coatings followed by reactive ion etching serve as highly efficient means for selectively removing metallic carbon nanotubes from electronically heterogeneous aligned arrays grown on quartz substrates. The low temperatures and unusual physics associated with this process enable robust, scalable operation, with clear potential for practical use. Especially for the purpose of selective joule heating over only metallic nanotubes, two representative platforms are proposed and confirmed. One is achieved by selective joule heating associated with thin film transistors with partial gate structure. The other is based on a simple, scalable, large-area scheme through microwave irradiation by using micro-strip dipole antennas of low work-function metals. In this study, based on purified semiconducting SWNTs, we demonstrated field effect transistors with mobility (> 1,000 cm2/Vsec) and on/off switching ratio (∼10,000) with current outputs in the milliamp range. Furthermore, as one demonstration of the effectiveness over large area-scalability and simplicity, implementing the micro-wave based purification, on large arrays consisting of ∼20,000 SWNTs completely removes all of the m-SWNTs (∼7,000) to yield a purity of s-SWNTs that corresponds, quantitatively, to at least to 99.9925% and likely significantly higher.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCarbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Emerging 2D Materials for Electronic and Photonic Devices VIII
EditorsManijeh Razeghi, Can Bayram, Jae Su Yu, Maziar Ghazinejad
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781628417180
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015
EventCarbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Emerging 2D Materials for Electronic and Photonic Devices VIII - San Diego, United States
Duration: Aug 9 2015Aug 12 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9552
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherCarbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Emerging 2D Materials for Electronic and Photonic Devices VIII
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period8/9/158/12/15

Keywords

  • Logic gates
  • Nanoscale thermocapillary flows
  • Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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