Room-Temperature Carbon Nanotube Single-Electron Transistors Fabricated Using Defect-Induced Plasma Process

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate the ''defect-induced plasma process'' for the fabrication of the room-temperature-operated carbon nanotube single-electron transistors (CNT-SETs) with the SiO 2 protection films on the CNT channels. After introducing of defects in the CNT channels by O 2 plasma irradiation through the SiO 2 protection films, multi-quantum dots were fabricated in the CNT channels. The electrical properties of the CNT-SETs suggested that the oscillation in the drain currents as a function of the gate voltage was observed at room temperature, as a result of the Coulomb blockade effect. Moreover, we report that the yield of the CNT-SETs depended on the thickness of the SiO 2 protection films on the CNT channels for the purpose of obtaining a high yield of CNT-SETs. The results indicate that the high yield of the CNT-SETs is as high as approximately 35% when the SiO 2 protection film thickness is 60 nm. Consequently, the defect-induced plasma process is useful for obtaining the high yield efficiency of CNT-SETs operating at room temperature.

Carbon Nanotube-Based Floating Gate Memories with High-k Dielectrics

“…CNTs are one of the promising candidate building blocks for CNT-based nanodevices and microelectrodes. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In particular, CNT field-effect transistors (CNTFETs), [9][10][11][12] in which semiconducting single-walled CNTs (SWNTs) are used as channels, are expected to be applied as highly integrated CNT-based circuits [13][14][15][16] and highly sensitive label-free sensors. [17][18][19][20] In recent years, many advances in CNTFET-based nonvolatile memories have been achieved.…”

Logic Gates Based on Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors with SiNx Passivation Films

“…Therefore, SWNTs are one of the promising candidate building blocks of nanoscale devices such as field-effect transistors (FETs) and single-electron transistors. [2][3][4][5][6] Carbon nanotube FETs (CNT-FETs), where semiconducting SWNTs are used as channels, are highly expected to used as components of integrated circuits [7][8][9][10][11] or sensors. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Generally, typical CNT-FETs exhibit p-type characteristics, i.e., they are always ''ON'' for a negative gate voltage because carbon nanotube channels are exposed to air.…”

Fabrication of Room-Temperature-Operating Carbon Nanotube Single-Charge Transistors

“…Generally, there are two techniques for fabricating CNT-SCTs. One is the use of defect-introduced CNT-FETs, (15)(16)(17)(18)(19) and the other is the use of CNT-FETs with a very small channel width. (20)(21)(22)(23) Although the defect-introduced CNT-FETs showed SCT's phenomena even at room temperature, their stability and reproducibility is rather poor.…”

“…In this review, we discuss the technology and characteristics of carbon nanotube SCTs, with particular reference to related works carried out in our laboratory. At fi rst, CNT-FETs with defects introduced onto the SWNT surface by oxygen plasma irradiation (18) and focused-ion beam (FIB) (17) are described. Then, CNT-FETs with a very small channel width formed by a shadow evaporation method (23) are described.…”