Selective Growth of Carbon Nanotubes for Nanoscale Transistors

The selective growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their application as field-effect transistors (FETs) are demonstrated. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes were selectively grown in nanoholes formed in an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template. Each device element is formed on a vertical carbon nanotube attached to bottom (source) and upper (drain) electrodes and a gate electrode, which can be integrated in large arrays with the potential for tera-level density (1012 cm–2). Simulation of the potential distribution shows that the direction of potential formation would depend on the polarity of the gate bias, which is consistent with an experimental result of CNT-FET operation.