Resistivity scaling in single-walled carbon nanotube films patterned to submicron dimensions

The authors describe efficient patterning of transparent, conductive single-walled carbon nanotube thin films by photolithography and e-beam lithography followed by reactive ion etching, and study the transport characteristics of the films patterned down to 200 nm lateral dimensions. The resistivity of the films is independent of device length, while increasing over three orders of magnitude compared to the bulk films, as their width and thickness shrink. This behavior is explained by a geometrical argument. Such "top-down" patterning of nanotube films should permit their integration into submicron device structures; however, the strong resistivity scaling will have to be taken into account. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.