80 GHz Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Transistors

1. 80 GHz Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Transistors L. Nougaret,1 H. Happy,1 G. Dambrine,1 V. Derycke,2 J.-P. Bourgoin,2 A. A. Green,3 M. C. Hersam3 1Institut d’Electronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie, UMR-CNRS, France 2Laboratoire d’ ElectroniqueMoléculaire, CEA, France 3Northwestern University Materials Research Science & Engineering Center National Science Foundation Grant DMR-0520513 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising materials for high frequency electronics due to their exceptional charge carrier mobilities. In an international collaboration between NU MRSEC IRG 4 and CNRS/CEA (France), thin film CNT field-effect transistors have been fabricated via dielectrophoresis as shown in the adjacent figure. Using 99% pure semiconducting CNTs, operating frequencies exceeding 80 GHz were achieved. This record frequency does not require aligned SWNTs, thus demonstrating the remarkable potential of random networks of sorted SWNTs for high frequency electronics. Scanning electron microscopy image of a semiconducting carbon nanotube field-effect transistor assembled via dielectrophoresis. L. Nougaret, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 94, 243505 (2009).