STTR Phase I: Development of High-Speed Infrared-Transparent Flexible Transistors Using Electronic-Grade Carbon Nanotube Solutions

这项小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段研究项目旨在开发一种创新的高速红外透明柔性薄膜晶体管（TFT）技术，通过使用独特的电子级碳纳米管（CNT）解决方案，该解决方案包含单独悬浮的超纯碳纳米管，不含任何表面活性剂，用于保形红外不可见电子产品。通过许多简单的溶液铸造方法，可以形成各种密度的超纯碳纳米管薄膜。这种薄膜具有超高的载流子迁移率，良好的机械弹性和优异的红外透射率。同时，独特的室温溶液可加工碳纳米管可以在几乎任何所需的柔性基板上以低成本和高吞吐量大规模生产大面积高速共形集成电路，而无需特殊的光刻设备。在第一阶段，将制作柔性碳纳米管- tft原型，进行技术可行性调查，并评估潜在的商业可行性。第二阶段的工作将集中在以低成本和高吞吐量在柔性基板上实现大面积高速红外不可见集成电路。本课题将进一步揭示碳纳米管薄膜的电子结构和红外特性。带隙工程技术将被开发，使碳纳米管薄膜的电学和光学性质的调谐。将优化纯化技术和后处理工艺，以提高碳纳米管- tft的场效应迁移率和开关比。将探索各种解决方案铸造方法，以实现在柔性基板上实现高速率、高成本效益的大面积集成电路制造。该项目的成果将为开发一系列适用于各种应用的电子级碳纳米管解决方案产品提供坚实的基础。该项目对多种应用具有潜在的重要性，如柔性电子、红外不可见天线、嵌入式红外传感、成像和通信。该项目将在纳米材料科学和纳米电子学的前沿跨学科领域培养工业工人和大学生。作为行业培训的一部分，将为学生提供实习机会，这将有助于为美国提供和维持合格的高科技劳动力。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research project aims to develop an innovative high speed IR-transparent flexible thin-film transistor (TFT) technology for application to conformal IR invisible electronics by using unique electronic-grade carbon nanotube (CNT) solutions that contain individually suspended ultrapure CNTs without any surfactant. With numerous simple solution-casting methods, ultrapure CNT films of various densities can be formed. Such films possess ultrahigh carrier mobility, great mechanical resilience, and superior IR transmittance. Meanwhile, the unique room-temperature solution-processable CNTs would enable mass production of large-area high-speed conformal integrated circuits on virtually any desired flexible substrate at low cost and high throughput without the need for special lithography equipment. In Phase I, a prototype flexible CNT-TFT will be fabricated for conducting technical feasibility investigation, and potential commercial feasibility will be assessed. The work in Phase II would concentrate on achieving large-area high-speed IR-invisible integrated circuits on flexible substrates at low cost and high throughput. Through this project electronic structures and IR properties of CNT films will be further revealed. Bandgap engineering techniques will be developed to enable the tuning of electrical and optical properties of CNT films. Purification techniques and post-fabrication processes will be optimized to enhance the field-effect mobility and the on-off ratio of CNT-TFTs. Various solution-casting methods will be explored to achieve high-rate cost-effective manufacturing of large-area integrated circuits on flexible substrates. The outcomes of this project will provide a solid base for developing a family of electronic-grade CNT solution products suitable for a great variety of applications. This project is potentially importance for a great variety of applications, such as flexible electronics, IR-invisible antennas, and embedded IR sensing, imaging, and communications. This project will train both industry workers and college students in cutting-edge cross-disciplinary areas of Nanomaterial Science and Nanoelectronics. Internships will be offered to students as part of the industry training, which will help to provide and maintain qualified hi-tech work forces in the United States.