Miniature Organic Transistors with Carbon Nanotubes as Quasi-One-Dimensional Electrodes

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 126; no. 38; pp. 11774 - 11775
• Main Authors: Qi, Pengfei, Javey, Ali, Rolandi, Marco, Wang, Qian, Yenilmez, Erhan, Dai, Hongjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 29-09-2004
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Performance evaluation; Field effect transistor; Molecular electronics; Voltage current curve; Carbon electrode; Carbon nanotubes; Electrical characteristic; Nanoelectronics
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja045900k

As the dimensions of electronic devices approach those of molecules, the size, geometry, and chemical composition of the contact electrodes play increasingly dominant roles in device functions. It is shown here that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) can be used as quasi-one-dimensional (1D) electrodes to construct organic field effect transistors (FET) with molecular scale width (∼2 nm) and channel length (1−3 nm). An important feature owing to the quasi-1D electrode geometry is the favorable gate electrostatics that allows for efficient switching of ultra-short organic channels. This affords room temperature conductance modulation by orders of magnitude for organic transistors that are only several molecules in length, with switching characteristics superior to similar devices with lithographically patterned metal electrodes. With nanotubes, covalent carbon−carbon bonds could be utilized to form contacts to molecular materials. The unique geometrical, physical, and chemical properties of carbon nanotube electrodes may lead to various interesting molecular devices.