https://tore.tuhh.de/bitstream/11420/394/1/Article_5._free.pdf

A review and analysis of electrical percolation in carbon nanotube polymer composites

Flexible electronics offer a wide-variety of applications such as flexible circuits, flexible displays, flexible solar cells, skin-like pressure sensors, and conformable RFID tags. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising material for flexible electronics, both as the channel material in field-effect transistors (FETs) and as transparent electrodes, due to their high intrinsic carrier mobility, conductivity, and mechanical flexibility. In this feature article, we review the recent progress of CNTs in flexible electronics by describing both the processing and the applications of CNT-based flexible devices. To employ CNTs as the channel material in FETs, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are used. There are generally two methods of depositing SWNTs on flexible substrates—transferring CVD-grown SWNTs or solution-depositing SWNTs. Since CVD-grown SWNTs can be highly aligned, they often outperform solution-processed SWNT films that are typically in the form of random network. However, solution-based SWNTs can be printed at a large-scale and at low-cost, rendering them more appropriate for manufacturing. In either case, the removal of metallic SWNTs in an effective and a scalable manner is critical, which must still be developed and optimized. Nevertheless, promising results demonstrating SWNT-based flexible circuits, displays, RF-devices, and biochemical sensors have been reported by various research groups, proving insight into the exciting possibilities of SWNT-based FETs. In using carbon nanotubes as transparent electrodes (TEs), two main strategies have been implemented to fabricate highly conductive, transparent, and mechanically compliant films—superaligned films of CNTs drawn from vertically grown CNT forests using the “dry-drawing” technique and the deposition or embedding of CNTs onto flexible or stretchable substrates. The main challenge for CNT based TEs is to fabricate films that are both highly conductive and transparent. These CNT based TEs have been used in stretchable and flexible pressure, strain, and chemical and biological sensors. In addition, they have also been used as the anode and cathode in flexible light emitting diodes, solar cells, and supercapacitors. In summary, there are a number of challenges yet to overcome to optimize the processing and performance of CNT-based flexible electronics; nonetheless, CNTs remain a highly suitable candidate for various flexible electronic applications in the near future.

A review of fabrication and applications of carbon nanotube film-based flexible electronics

In the last three decades, zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials (i.e., fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, respectively) have attracted significant attention from the scientific community due to their unique electronic, optical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties. While early work showed that these properties could enable high performance in selected applications, issues surrounding structural inhomogeneity and imprecise assembly have impeded robust and reliable implementation of carbon nanomaterials in widespread technologies. However, with recent advances in synthesis, sorting, and assembly techniques, carbon nanomaterials are experiencing renewed interest as the basis of numerous scalable technologies. Here, we present an extensive review of carbon nanomaterials in electronic, optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and sensing devices with a particular focus on the latest examples based on the highest purity samples. Specific attention is devoted to each class of carbon nanomaterial, thereby allowing comparative analysis of the suitability of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene for each application area. In this manner, this article will provide guidance to future application developers and also articulate the remaining research challenges confronting this field.

Carbon nanomaterials for electronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and sensing

For more than 50 years, silicon transistors have been continuously shrunk to meet the projections of Moore's law but are now reaching fundamental limits on speed and power use. With these limits at hand, nanomaterials offer great promise for improving transistor performance and adding new applications through the coming decades. With different transistors needed in everything from high-performance servers to thin-film display backplanes, it is important to understand the targeted application needs when considering new material options. Here the distinction between high-performance and thin-film transistors is reviewed, along with the benefits and challenges to using nanomaterials in such transistors. In particular, progress on carbon nanotubes, as well as graphene and related materials (including transition metal dichalcogenides and X-enes), outlines the advances and further research needed to enable their use in transistors for high-performance computing, thin films, or completely new technologies such as flexible and transparent devices.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/349/6249/aab2750.full.pdf

Nanomaterials in transistors: From high-performance to thin-film applications

Ion-exchange chemistry can be used to fabricate arrays of individually positioned carbon nanotubes with a density as high as 109 cm−2.

High-density integration of carbon nanotubes via chemical self-assembly

We report ultrahigh density assembly of aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) two-dimensional arrays via AC dielectrophoresis using high-quality surfactant-free and stable SWNT solutions. After optimization of frequency and trapping time, we can reproducibly control the linear density of the SWNT between prefabricated electrodes from 0.5 SWNT/μm to more than 30 SWNT/μm by tuning the concentration of the nanotubes in the solution. Our maximum density of 30 SWNT/μm is the highest for aligned arrays via any solution processing technique reported so far. Further increase of SWNT concentration results in a dense array with multiple layers. We discuss how the orientation and density of the nanotubes vary with concentrations and channel lengths. Electrical measurement data show that the densely packed aligned arrays have low sheet resistances. Selective removal of metallic SWNTs via controlled electrical breakdown produced field-effect transistors with high current on−off ratio. Ultrahigh density alignmen...

Ultrahigh density alignment of carbon nanotube arrays by dielectrophoresis.

We report on high quality individual solution processed single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) field effect transistors assembled from a commercial surfactant free solution via dielectrophoresis. The devices show field effect mobilities up to 1380 cm2/V s and on-state conductance up to 6 μS. The mobility values are an order of magnitude improvement over previous solution processed SWNT devices and close to the theoretical limit. These results demonstrate that high quality SWNT devices can be obtained from solution processing and will have significant impact in high yield fabrication of SWNT nanoelectronic devices.

/pdf/high-quality-solution-processed-carbon-nanotube-transistors-dzgvv1j12u.pdf

High quality solution processed carbon nanotube transistors assembled by dielectrophoresis

We herein report the dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a co-solvent. TFA is a strong but volatile acid which is miscible with many commonly used organic solvents. Our study demonstrates that MWCNTs can be effectively purified and readily dispersed in a range of organic solvents including dimethyl formamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dichloromethane when mixed with 10 vol.% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis revealed that the chemical structure of the TFA-treated MWCNTs remained intact without oxidation. The dispersed carbon nanotubes in TFA/THF solution were mixed with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to fabricate polymer nanocomposites. A good dispersion of nanotubes in solution and in polymer matrices was observed and confirmed by SEM, optical microscopy, and light transmittance study. Low percolation thresholds of electrical conductivity were observed from the fabricated MWCNT/PMMA composite films. Further enhancement in the dispersion of MWCNTs was achieved by adding a conjugated conducting polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), to the dispersion, wherein TFA also serves as a doping agent to the conducting polymer. The ternary nanocomposite MWCNT/P3HT/PMMA exhibited an extremely low percolation threshold of less than 0.006 wt% of MWCNT content. This low percolation threshold is attributed to a good dispersion of MWCNTs and enhanced conductivity of the nanocomposites by conjugated conducting polymer.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-4484/18/41/415606/pdf

Dispersion of carbon nanotubes and polymer nanocomposite fabrication using trifluoroacetic acid as a co-solvent

We present a simple and scalable technique for the fabrication of solution processed and local-gated carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNT-FETs). The approach is based on the directed assembly of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes from dichloroethane via AC dielectrophoresis (DEP) onto pre-patterned source and drain electrodes with a local aluminum gate in the middle. Local-gated CNT-FET devices display superior performance compared to a global back gate with on–off ratios >104 and maximum subthreshold swings of 170 mV/dec. The local bottom-gated DEP-assembled CNT-FETs will facilitate large-scale fabrication of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) compatible nanoelectronic devices.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-4484/19/17/175202/pdf

Local-gated single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors assembled by AC dielectrophoresis

We present a simple and scalable technique for the fabrication of solution processed & local gated carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNT-FETs) The approach is based on directed assembly of individual single wall carbon nanotube from dichloroethane via AC dielectrophoresis (DEP) onto pre-patterned source and drain electrodes with a local aluminum gate in the middle Local-gated CNT-FET devices display superior performance compared to global back gate with on-off ratios 10^4 and maximum subthreshold swings of 170 mV/dec The local bottom-gated DEP assembled CNT-FETs will facilitate large scale fabrication of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible nanoelectronic devices

Paul Stokes

Papers

Ultrahigh density alignment of carbon nanotube arrays by dielectrophoresis.

High quality solution processed carbon nanotube transistors assembled by dielectrophoresis

Dispersion of carbon nanotubes and polymer nanocomposite fabrication using trifluoroacetic acid as a co-solvent

Local-gated single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors assembled by AC dielectrophoresis

Local-gated single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors assembled by AC dielectrophoresis