Methodology for electrically induced selective breakdown of nanotubes
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsPhaedon Avouris, Philip G. Collins, Richard Martel
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Abstract
A method is provided for forming a device. The method provides an insulating substrate including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode. The method provides carbon nanotube bundles including metallic and semiconducting component nanotubes in contact with the substrate. The method applies a voltage to the gate electrode to deplete the semiconducting component nanotubes of carriers, applies an electrical current through the nanotube, from a source electrode to a drain electrode, and breaks at least one metallic component nanotube to form a field effect transistor. The carbon nanotube bundle can be a multi-walled nanotube or a single-walled nanotube rope.
Claims25
A method for forming a device comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a plurality of nanotubes in contact with the substrate;
- and
- selectively breaking a nanotube using an electrical current.
A method of modifying at least one characteristic of a nanotube comprising the steps of:
- providing a mixture of nanotubes;
- and
- applying a current to the mixture, inducing the selective breakdown of the nanotube mixture.
A method for forming a device comprising the steps of:
- providing an insulating substrate including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode;
- providing a plurality of carbon nanotube bundles including metallic and semiconducting component nanotubes in contact with the substrate, wherein the nanotubes are provided at a density of about one percent coverage;
- applying a voltage to the gate electrode to deplete the semiconducting component nanotubes of a plurality of carriers;
- applying an electrical current through the nanotube, from a source electrode to a drain electrode;
- and
- breaking at least one metallic component nanotube to form a field effect transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.