Field effect transistor fabrication from carbon nanotubes

• US 8,872,154 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Inventors: Franklin, Aaron D., Sands, Timothy D., Fisher, Timothy S., Janes, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUINTO, KEVIN V
• Application Number:
  US12/755,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 257/9
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/373 Cooling facilitated by selection of materials for the device or materials for thermal expansion adaptation, e.g. carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0665 the shape of the body defining a nanostructure nanotechnology per se B82B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/46 Field-effect transistors, e.g. organic thin-film transistors [OTFT] H10K10/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/491 Vertical transistors, e.g. vertical carbon nanotube field effect transistors [CNT-FETs]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for an electronic device such as a field effect transistor. One embodiment includes fabrication of an FET utilizing single walled carbon nanotubes as the semiconducting material. In one embodiment, the FETs are vertical arrangements of SWCNTs, and in some embodiments prepared within porous anodic alumina (PAA). Various embodiments pertain to different methods for fabricating the drains, sources, and gates.

Claims

1. A field effect transistor, comprising:

an insulating material defining a pore having a wall, the pore including a catalyst for growing a carbon nanotube;

a carbon nanotube grown from the catalyst within the pore, the nanotube having two ends;

a drain in electrical communication with one end of said nanotube;

a source in electrical communication with the other end of said nanotube; and

a gate surrounding a portion of said nanotube intermediate of the two ends;

wherein the pore has a length spanning from a closed end to an opened end, and said nanotube is grown from a location on the wall of the pore beginning along the length intermediate of the closed end and the opened end.

2. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein the insulating material is aluminum oxide.

3. The field effect transistor of claim 1 which further comprises a nanowire within the pore electrically connecting said one end of said nanotube to said drain.

4. The field effect transistor of claim 1 which further comprises a nanowire within the pore electrically connecting said other end of said nanotube to said source.

5. The field effect transistor of claim 1 which further comprises a layer of conductive material in contact with said insulating material, said conductive layer being in electrical communication with one of said drain or said source.

6. The field effect transistor of claim 1 which further comprises a layer of conductive material in electrical communication with an end of said nanotube.

7. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein said insulating material comprises porous anodic alumina.

8. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein the nanotube has a length less than the length of the pore.

9. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein said carbon nanotube is a semiconducting carbon nanotube.

10. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein said pore and said carbon nanotube are vertically oriented.

11. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein there is only one carbon nanotube in electrical communication with said drain and said source.

12. The field effect transistor of claim 1 wherein the insulating material is a first insulating material and which further comprises a second insulating material substantially surrounding said nanotube within the pore.

13. The field effect transistor of claim 12 wherein the second insulating material is a glass.

14. The field effect transistor of claim 1 which further comprises a nanowire in said pore providing electrical communication either between the one end and said drain or between the other end and said source.

15. The field effect transistor of claim 14 wherein said nanowire comprises palladium.