High performance n-type carbon nanotube field-effect transistors with chemically doped contacts

Abstract

Short channel (∼80 nm) n-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistors (FETs) with potassium (K) doped source and drain regions and high-K gate dielectrics (ALD HfO 2) are obtained. For nanotubes with diameter ∼1.6 nm and band gap ∼0.55 eV, we obtain n-MOSFET-like devices exhibiting high on-currents due to chemically suppressed Schottky barriers at the contacts, subthreshold swing of 70 mV/decade, negligible ambipolar conduction, and high on/off ratios up to 10 6 at a bias voltage of 0.5 V. The results compare favorably with the state-of-the-art silicon n-MOSFETs and demonstrate the potential of SWNTs for future complementary electronics. The effects of doping level on the electrical characteristics of the nanotube devices are discussed. © 2005 American Chemical Society.