High performance thin-film transistors using moderately aligned semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) using aligned network of semiconductor-enriched single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) were fabricated on a SiO2/Si substrate. The aligned thin film was prepared by N-2 blow in the drying process using as separated s-SWCNT solution prepared by the agarose gel chromatography. We demonstrated that TFT using a moderately aligned s-SWCNT thin film shows drastically improved transfer characteristics. The TFT simultaneously showed a mobility of 19.6 cm(2)/(V.s) and an on/off ratio of 1.7 x 10(5), although the purity of semiconductor used in this work was not higher than 90%. Because the alignment process is very easy and effective, it is expected that moderately aligned s-SWCNT film could be used to practical circuits made of s-SWCNT TFTs. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim