No Arabic abstract
Vapor sensors based on functionalized carbon nanotubes (NTs) have shown great promise, with high sensitivity conferred by the reduced dimensionality and exceptional electronic properties of the NT. Critical challenges in the development of NT-based sensor arrays for chemical detection include the demonstration of reproducible fabrication methods and functionalization schemes that provide high chemical diversity to the resulting sensors. Here, we outline a scalable approach to fabricating arrays of vapor sensors consisting of NT field effect transistors functionalized with single-stranded DNA (DNA-NT). DNA-NT sensors were highly reproducible, with responses that could be described through equilibrium thermodynamics. Target analytes were detected even in large backgrounds of volatile interferents. DNA-NT sensors were able to discriminate between highly similar molecules, including structural isomers and enantiomers. The sensors were also able to detect subtle variations in complex vapors, including mixtures of structural isomers and mixtures of many volatile organic compounds characteristic of humans.
Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has been widely studied for its rich physics and potential applications, undergoing a prominent insulator-metal transition (IMT) near room temperature. The transition mechanism remains highly debated, and little is known about the IMT at nanoscale dimensions. To shed light on this problem, here we use ~1 nm wide carbon nanotube (CNT) heaters to trigger the IMT in VO2. Single metallic CNTs switch the adjacent VO2 at less than half the voltage and power required by control devices without a CNT, with switching power as low as ~85 ${mu}W$ at 300 nm device lengths. We also obtain potential and temperature maps of devices during operation using Kelvin Probe Microscopy (KPM) and Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM). Comparing these with three-dimensional electrothermal simulations, we find that the local heating of the VO2 by the CNT play a key role in the IMT. These results demonstrate the ability to trigger IMT in VO2 using nanoscale heaters, and highlight the significance of thermal engineering to improve device behaviour.
Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films are promising materials for transparent conductive films (TCFs) with potential applications in flexible displays, touch screens, solar cells and solid-state lighting1,2. However, further reductions in resistivity and in cost of SWCNT films are necessary for high quality TCF products3. Here, we report an improved floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method to directly and continuously produce ultrathin and freestanding SWCNT films at the hundred meter-scale. Both carbon conversion efficiency and SWCNT TCF yield are increased by three orders of magnitude relative to the conventional floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition. After doping, the film manifests a sheet resistance of 40 ohm/sq. at 90% transmittance, representing record performance for large-scale SWCNT films. Our work provides a new avenue to accelerate the industrialization of SWCNT films as TCFs.
Feedstock and byproduct diffusion in the root growth of aligned CNT arrays was discussed in this work. A non-dimensional modulus was proposed to differentiate catalyst-decay controlled growth deceleration from diffusion controlled one. It was found that aligned MWNT arrays are usually free of feedstock diffusion while SWNT arrays are usually facing strong diffusion limit. The present method can also be utilized to predict the maximum length that CNT forest can grow in certain CVD process.
We report the radio-frequency performance of carbon nanotube array transistors that have been realized through the aligned assembly of highly separated, semiconducting carbon nanotubes on a fully scalable device platform. At a gate length of 100 nm, we observe output current saturation and obtain as-measured, extrinsic current gain and power gain cut-off frequencies, respectively, of 7 GHz and 15 GHz. While the extrinsic current gain is comparable to the state-of-the-art the extrinsic power gain is improved. The de-embedded, intrinsic current gain and power gain cut-off frequencies of 153 GHz and 30 GHz are the highest values experimentally achieved to date. We analyze the consistency of DC and AC performance parameters and discuss the requirements for future applications of carbon nanotube array transistors in high-frequency electronics.
The deposition of boron-doped amorphous carbon thin films on SiO2 substrate was achieved via a focused ion beam-assisted chemical vapor deposition of triphenyl borane (C18H15B) and triphenyl borate (C18H15BO3). The existence of boron in the deposited film from triphenyl borane, with a precursor temperature of 90 {deg}C, was confirmed by a core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The film exhibited a semiconducting behavior with a band gap of 285 meV. Although the band gap was decreased to 197 meV after an annealing process, the film was still semiconductor. Additionally, a drastic reduction of the resistance on the deposited film by applying pressures was observed from an in-situ electrical transport measurements using a diamond anvil cell.