The ultimate aim of any detection method is to achieve such a level of sensitivity that individual quanta of a measured entity can be resolved. In the case of chemical sensors, the quantum is one atom or molecule. Such resolution has so far been beyond the reach of any detection technique, including solid-state gas sensors hailed for their exceptional sensitivity1, 2, 3, 4. The fundamental reason limiting the resolution of such sensors is fluctuations due to thermal motion of charges and defects5, which lead to intrinsic noise exceeding the sought-after signal from individual molecules, usually by many orders of magnitude. Here, we show that micrometre-size sensors made from graphene are capable of detecting individual events when a gas molecule attaches to or detaches from graphene's surface. The adsorbed molecules change the local carrier concentration in graphene one by one electron, which leads to step-like changes in resistance. The achieved sensitivity is due to the fact that graphene is an exceptionally low-noise material electronically, which makes it a promising candidate not only for chemical detectors but also for other applications where local probes sensitive to external charge, magnetic field or mechanical strain are required.

/pdf/detection-of-individual-gas-molecules-adsorbed-on-graphene-2b3viubc4o.pdf

Detection of individual gas molecules adsorbed on graphene

The ultimate aspiration of any detection method is to achieve such a level of sensitivity that individual quanta of a measured value can be resolved. In the case of chemical sensors, the quantum is one atom or molecule. Such resolution has so far been beyond the reach of any detection technique, including solid-state gas sensors hailed for their exceptional sensitivity. The fundamental reason limiting the resolution of such sensors is fluctuations due to thermal motion of charges and defects which lead to intrinsic noise exceeding the sought-after signal from individual molecules, usually by many orders of magnitude. Here we show that micrometre-size sensors made from graphene are capable of detecting individual events when a gas molecule attaches to or detaches from graphenes surface. The adsorbed molecules change the local carrier concentration in graphene one by one electron, which leads to step-like changes in resistance. The achieved sensitivity is due to the fact that graphene is an exceptionally low-noise material electronically, which makes it a promising candidate not only for chemical detectors but also for other applications where local probes sensitive to external charge, magnetic field or mechanical strain are required.

Detection of Individual Gas Molecules Absorbed on Graphene

A common feature of the single-walled carbon-nanotube field-effect transistors fabricated to date has been the presence of a Schottky barrier at the nanotube–metal junctions1,2,3. These energy barriers severely limit transistor conductance in the ‘ON’ state, and reduce the current delivery capability—a key determinant of device performance. Here we show that contacting semiconducting single-walled nanotubes by palladium, a noble metal with high work function and good wetting interactions with nanotubes, greatly reduces or eliminates the barriers for transport through the valence band of nanotubes. In situ modification of the electrode work function by hydrogen is carried out to shed light on the nature of the contacts. With Pd contacts, the ‘ON’ states of semiconducting nanotubes can behave like ohmically contacted ballistic metallic tubes, exhibiting room-temperature conductance near the ballistic transport limit of 4e2/h (refs 4–6), high current-carrying capability (∼25 µA per tube), and Fabry–Perot interferences5 at low temperatures. Under high voltage operation, the current saturation appears to be set by backscattering of the charge carriers by optical phonons. High-performance ballistic nanotube field-effect transistors with zero or slightly negative Schottky barriers are thus realized.

Ballistic carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

Nitrogen doping has been an effective way to tailor the properties of graphene and render its potential use for various applications. Three common bonding configurations are normally obtained when doping nitrogen into the graphene: pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, and graphitic N. This paper reviews nitrogen-doped graphene, including various synthesis methods to introduce N doping and various characterization techniques for the examination of various N bonding configurations. Potential applications of N-graphene are also reviewed on the basis of experimental and theoretical studies.

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/pfigshare-u-files/1431849/NitrogenReviewonRecentProgressinNitrogenDopedGrapheneSynthesisCharacterizationandItsPotentialApplications.pdf

Review on Recent Progress in Nitrogen-Doped Graphene: Synthesis, Characterization, and Its Potential Applications

We describe a simple process for the fabrication of ultrathin, transparent, optically homogeneous, electrically conducting films of pure single-walled carbon nanotubes and the transfer of those films to various substrates. For equivalent sheet resistance, the films exhibit optical transmittance comparable to that of commercial indium tin oxide in the visible spectrum, but far superior transmittance in the technologically relevant 2- to 5-micrometer infrared spectral band. These characteristics indicate broad applicability of the films for electrical coupling in photonic devices. In an example application, the films are used to construct an electric field-activated optical modulator, which constitutes an optical analog to the nanotube-based field effect transistor.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/305/5688/1273.full.pdf

Transparent, Conductive Carbon Nanotube Films

We show that carbon nanotube transistors operate as unconventional "Schottky barrier transistors," in which transistor action occurs primarily by varying the contact resistance rather than the channel conductance. Transistor characteristics are calculated for both idealized and realistic geometries, and scaling behavior is demonstrated. Our results explain a variety of experimental observations, including the quite different effects of doping and adsorbed gases. The electrode geometry is shown to be crucial for good device performance.

Carbon nanotubes as schottky barrier transistors.

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been used as the active channels of field effect transistors (FET). The next development step involves the integration of CNTFETs to form logic gates; the basic units of computers. For this we need to have both p- and n-type CNTFETs. However, without special treatment, the obtained CNTFETs are always p-type:  the current carriers are holes and the devices are ON for negative gate bias. Here we show that n-type CNTFETs can be prepared not only by doping but also by a simple annealing of SWNT-based p-FETs in a vacuum. We use our ability to prepare both p- and n-type nanotube transistors to build the first nanotube-based logic gates:  voltage inverters. Using spatially resolved doping we implemented this logic function on a single nanotube bundle.

Carbon Nanotube Inter- and Intramolecular Logic Gates

Ambipolar electrical transport is reported in single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistors. In particular, the properties of SWNT junctions to TiC are discussed in detail. The carbide-nanotube junctions are abrupt and robust. In contrast to planar junctions, these contacts present low resistance for the injection of both $p$- and $n$-type carriers---the apparent barrier height of the junction is modified by the gate field. Thus SWNTs offer the novel possibility of ambipolar Ohmic contacts.

Ambipolar electrical transport in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes.

We have fabricated single-wall carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs) in a conventional metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) structure, with gate electrodes above the conduction channel separated from the channel by a thin dielectric These top gate devices exhibit excellent electrical characteristics, including steep subthreshold slope and high transconductance, at gate voltages close to 1 V—a significant improvement relative to previously reported CNFETs which used the substrate as a gate and a thicker gate dielectric Our measured device performance also compares very well to state-of-the-art silicon devices These results are observed for both p- and n-type devices, and they suggest that CNFETs may be competitive with Si MOSFETs for future nanoelectronic applications

Vertical scaling of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors using top gate electrodes

Carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) fabricated out of as-grown nanotubes are unipolar p-type devices. Two methods for their conversion from p- to n-type devices are presented. The first method involves conventional doping with an electron donor, while the second consists of annealing the contacts in vacuum to remove adsorbed oxygen. A comparison of these methods shows fundamental differences in the mechanism of the transformation. The key finding is that the main effect of oxygen adsorption is not to dope the bulk of the tube, but to modify the barriers at the metal–semiconductor contacts. The oxygen concentration and the level of doping of the nanotube are therefore complementary in controlling the CNTFET characteristics. Finally, a method of controlling individually the contact barriers by local heating is demonstrated.

Ph. Avouris

Papers

Carbon nanotubes as schottky barrier transistors.

Carbon Nanotube Inter- and Intramolecular Logic Gates

Ambipolar electrical transport in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes.

Vertical scaling of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors using top gate electrodes

Controlling doping and carrier injection in carbon nanotube transistors