NER: Fabrication of Electronic Devices with Nanotube Network Conducting Channels

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The objective of the research is to explore new active electronic device architectures, such as Field Effect Transistors and new, room temperature fabrication routes for such devices. The devices incorporate a random network of carbon nanotubes as the conducting channel. Due to the high electron and hole mobility associated with carbon nanotubes, the architecture leads to high device mobilities, excellent mechanical properties, together with robustness, and fault tolerance. Initial studies indicate that the devices have performance superior to alternative device architectures, such as organic transistors. The approach for the fabrication process includes the solubilization of nanotubes by various agents, nanotube deposition and subsequent removal of the agents. This room temperature process allows integration of nanotube networks to a variety of surfaces, is compatible with standard silicon fabrication and can also be integrated into plastic materials. The devices will also allow the exploration of a range of physics issues such as the nature of electron states in one and in restricted dimensions and percolation in a two dimensional random network. The research will have, potentially major impact in the area called flexible electronics with possible applications in areas including displays, radio frequency identification tags and printable Integrated Circuits. The research will be conducted by graduate students from different Departments, and it involves device design, fabrication and interrogation. Subjecting graduate students to an interdisciplinary environment, and to a project that has significant application potential will generate a knowledge base critically needed in the country.