Performance of carbon nanotube-dispersed thin-film transistors

A numerical technique that relies on modifying the organic semiconducting host with metallic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to increase the transconductance or, equivalently, reduce effective channel length (L-eff) has recently been proposed. The authors use an extensive set of experimental data to analyze the performance of these transistors using the theory of heterogeneous two-dimensional percolating networks of metal-semiconducting CNTs embedded in the organic host. Their analysis (i) reproduces experimental characteristics, (ii) shows that L-eff scales as a power law of CNT-doping density (rho), (iii) illustrates the importance of an active subpercolating network of semiconducting CNTs in an organic host, and (iv) establishes the upper limit of transistor count for an integrated circuit based on this technology as a function of rho, on current (I-on), and circuit-failure probability (F). (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.