Method of horizontally growing carbon nanotubes and field effect transistor using the carbon nanotubes grown by the method

• US 6,515,339 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Kyu Tae, Han, Young Soo, Lee, Jae Eun, Shin, Jin Koog, Yoon, Sang Soo, Jung, Min Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Shouxiang
• Application Number:
  US09/907,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20020014667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 257/1, 257/77, 257/9, 257/29, 257/24, 257/368, 257/327, 257/421, 257/424, 257/425, 257/427
• US Class Current: 257/368
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/08 Aligned nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/162 characterised by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/17 Memory cell being a nanowire transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/00 Organic devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching; Organic capacitors or resistors having potential barriers integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/46 Field-effect transistors, e.g. organic thin-film transistors [OTFT] H10K10/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/462 Insulated gate field-effect transistors [IGFETs]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/466 Lateral bottom-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/491 Vertical transistors, e.g. vertical carbon nanotube field effect transistors [CNT-FETs]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic element specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching, covered by group H10K10/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/10 Deposition of organic active material
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/844 Growth by vaporization or dissociation of carbon source using a high-energy heat source, e.g. electric arc, laser, plasma, e-beam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/89 Deposition of materials, e.g. coating, cvd, or ald
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/896 Chemical synthesis, e.g. chemical bonding or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/90 : having step or means utilizing mechanical or thermal property, e.g. pressure, heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/936 : in a transistor or 3-terminal device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/938 : Field effect transistors, FETS, with nanowire- or nanotube-channel region

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of horizontally growing carbon nanotubes, in which the carbon nanotubes can be selectively grown in a horizontal direction at specific locations of a substrate having catalyst formed thereat, so that the method can be usefully utilized in fabricating nano-devices. The method includes the steps of: (a) forming a predetermined catalyst pattern on a first substrate; (b) forming a vertical growth preventing layer on the first substrate, which prevents carbon nanotubes from growing in a vertical direction; (c) forming apertures through the vertical growth preventing layer and the first substrate to expose the catalyst pattern through the apertures; and (d) synthesizing carbon nanotubes at exposed surfaces of the catalyst pattern in order to grow the carbon nanotubes in the horizontal direction.

Claims

1. A field effect transistor comprising a source, a drain, a first catalyst region in said source, a second catalyst region in said drain, a growth preventing layer on at least one of said first and second catalyst regions, and a carbon nanotube bridge between the source and the drain, wherein the carbon nanotube bridge being formed with carbon nanotubes grown in a horizontal direction between said first and second catalyst regions, and said growth preventing layer preventing vertical growth of said nanotubes, so that the field effect transistor can control the flow of electrons in said nanotubes.

2. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carbon nanotubes have a characteristic of a semiconductor.

3. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of gate carbon nanotubes are formed on and intersecting the carbon nanotube bridge between the source and the drain, so as to produce an energy barrier to form a quantum point and to control the flow of the electric current.

4. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the quantum point has a size, which is controlled by using a common terminal, wherein the gate carbon nanotubes form gates.

5. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 1, the field effect transistor further comprising first and second wires, through which electric current can pass, and which are provided on the source and the drain, so as to magnetize said first and second catalyst regions in a desired direction.

6. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first wire disposed on the source and the second wire disposed on the drain are arranged in parallel with each other.

7. A field effect transistor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide groove is formed at a substrate of the field effect transistor to allow the carbon nanotubes to be grown in a horizontal direction between the source and the drain, thereby the carbon nanotube bridge is formed in the horizontal direction between the source and the drain.