# US 12,114,515 B2 · Thin film transistors comprising carbon nanotube networks encapsulated by a polymeric layer and methods for the manufacture thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,515 B2 - Document ID: US12114515B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/312,678 - Filed: 2019-12-17 - Published: 2022-03-03 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-21 - Assignees: National Research Council of Canada - Applicants: National Research Council of Canada - Inventors: Jacques Lefebvre; Francois Lapointe; Zhao Li; Jianfu Ding; Patrick Roland Lucien Malenfant - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114515B2 ## CPC - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - H10K 10/484: {characterised by the channel regions} - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - H10D 62/83: being Group IV materials, e.g. B-doped Si or undoped Ge - H10K 71/12: using liquid deposition, e.g. spin coating - H10K 85/141: {comprising aliphatic or olefinic chains, e.g. poly N-vinylcarbazol, PVC or PTFE} - H10K 85/221: {Carbon nanotubes} - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract The present application relates to thin film transistors having a semiconducting channel comprising a network of carbon nanotubes that are electrically coupled to a source electrode and a drain electrode and electrically insulated from, but capacitively coupled to, a gate electrode, wherein a polymeric layer encapsulates the carbon nanotubes. The polymeric layer can comprise a first monomeric unit and optionally a second monomeric unit, wherein the first monomeric unit, the second monomeric unit and the relative amounts thereof are optionally selected to provide at least one target electrical property of the thin film transistor. The present application also relates to methods for manufacturing such thin film transistors as well as a methods of selecting a polymeric layer to provide a desired threshold voltage for such thin film transistors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thin film transistor comprising: a source electrode, a drain electrode and a gate electrode; a semiconducting channel comprising a network of carbon nanotubes, the carbon nanotubes electrically coupled to the source electrode and drain electrode and electrically insulated from, but capacitively coupled to, the gate electrode; and a polymeric layer encapsulating the carbon nanotubes, the polymeric layer comprising a first monomeric unit and optionally a second monomeric unit, wherein the first monomeric unit, the second monomeric unit and the relative amounts thereof are selected to provide at least one target electrical property of the thin film transistor, wherein the polymeric layer has a thickness of greater than about 2 μm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the first monomeric unit is 2-vinylpyridine, acrylic acid or a glucopyranose in which at least a portion of the hydrogens of the hydroxyl groups are replaced with —CH2C(O)ONa. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The thin film transistor of claim 2, wherein as between the first monomeric unit and the second monomeric unit only the first monomeric unit is present, and the polymeric layer comprises poly(2-vinylpyridine), poly(acrylic acid) or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein as between the first monomeric unit and the second monomeric unit, only the first monomeric unit is present, and the polymeric layer comprises poly(2-vinylpyridine). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the first monomeric unit is vinyl acetate, the second monomeric unit is methyl methacrylate and the polymer layer comprises a blend of poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(methyl methacrylate). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the first monomeric unit is vinyl alcohol, the second monomeric unit is ethylenimine and the polymeric layer comprises a blend of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyethylenimine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the polymeric layer further comprises an n-type dopant. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the semiconducting channel further comprises an n-type dopant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the first monomeric unit is acrylic acid, the second monomeric unit is vinyl alcohol and the polymeric layer comprises a blend of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes are complexed with a conjugated polymer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The thin film transistor of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotubes are complexed with poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorene). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The thin film transistor of claim 1, wherein the source and drain electrodes comprise metallic gold. ### Claim 13 A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor, the method comprising: assembling a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode and a semiconducting channel comprising a network of carbon nanotubes, such that the carbon nanotubes are electrically coupled to the source electrode and drain electrode and electrically insulated from, but capacitively coupled to, the gate electrode; and encapsulating the carbon nanotubes with a polymeric layer, the polymeric layer comprising a first monomeric unit and optionally a second monomeric unit, wherein the first monomeric unit, the second monomeric unit and relative amounts thereof are selected to provide at least one target electrical property of the thin film transistor, wherein the polymeric layer has a thickness of greater than about 2 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanotubes are encapsulated with the polymeric layer by a method comprising spin coating, drop casting or printing a solution comprising the first monomeric unit and optionally the second monomeric unit over the network of carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first monomeric unit is 2-vinylpyridine, acrylic acid or a glucopyranose in which at least a portion of the hydrogens of the hydroxyl groups are replaced with —CH2C(O)ONa. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein as between the first monomeric unit and the second monomeric unit, only the first monomeric unit is present, and the polymeric layer comprises poly(2-vinylpyridine), poly(acrylic acid) or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first monomeric unit is vinyl acetate, the second monomeric unit is methyl methacrylate and the polymer layer comprises a blend of poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(methyl methacrylate). ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first monomeric unit is vinyl alcohol, the second monomeric unit is ethylenimine and the polymeric layer comprises a blend of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyethylenimine. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the solution further comprises an n-type dopant. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises depositing a solution comprising an n-type dopant on the semiconducting channel prior to encapsulation. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first monomeric unit is acrylic acid, the second monomeric unit is vinyl alcohol and the polymeric layer comprises a blend of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol). ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein prior to assembly, the carbon nanotubes are complexed with a conjugated polymer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the source and drain electrodes comprise metallic gold.