Carbon nanotube network thin-film transistors on flexible/stretchable substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299940-B2
Application number	US-201314065218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2013
Priority date	Nov 2, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for flexible thin-film transistors. In one aspect, a device includes a polymer substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate, a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a polymer substrate, the polymer substrate defining a mesh structure;
a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate;
a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate;
a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer; and
a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a polymer layer disposed on the source electrode, the drain electrode, and exposed portions of the carbon nanotube network.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the polymer layer comprises poly(p-xylylene).

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the polymer layer is about 250 nanometers to 1 micron thick.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein an area defined by the device is about 2.5 microns to 7.5 microns by about 100 microns to 300 microns.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gate electrode includes nickel, and wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode include palladium.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube network is about 2 nanometers to 20 nanometers thick.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the carbon nanotube network has a density of about 10 to 100 nanotubes per micron area of the carbon nanotube network.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is mechanically flexible.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is about 20 nanometers to 70 nanometers thick.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein nanotubes of the carbon nanotube network have a length of about 0.4 microns to 0.12 microns.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein nanotubes of the carbon nanotube network have a length of about 0.8 microns.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises a first silicon oxide layer disposed on the gate electrode, an alumina layer disposed on the first silicon oxide layer, and a second silicon oxide layer disposed on the alumina layer.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mesh structure includes a honeycomb mesh structure defining substantially hexagonal holes in the polymer substrate.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device is located at an intersection of three lines of the honeycomb mesh structure.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein each of the substantially hexagonal holes in the polymer substrate has sides having a length of about 0.5 millimeters to 2 millimeters.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the polymer substrate is about 10 microns to 40 microns.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the polymer substrate comprises polyimide.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode each include a layer of titanium disposed on the carbon nanotube network and a layer of palladium disposed on the layer of titanium.

20. A device comprising:
a polymer substrate, the polymer substrate defining a mesh structure;
a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate;
a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate, the dielectric layer comprising a first silicon oxide layer disposed on the gate electrode, an alumina layer disposed on the first silicon oxide layer, and a second silicon oxide layer disposed on the alumina layer;
a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer; and
a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

Assignees

• Takei Kuniharu
• Takahashi Toshitake
• Javey Ali
• Univ California

Inventors

• Takei Kuniharu
• Takahashi Toshitake
• Javey Ali

Classifications

• H01L51/0545

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• H01L51/0558 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0048

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0097

  Electricity · mapped topic