Carbon Nanotubes, Semiconductor Nanowires and Graphene for Thin Film Transistor and Circuit Applications

Abstract

In this paper, we briefly review the use of carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires, which represent a new class of nanomaterials actively studied for thin film transistors and electronics applications. Although these nanomaterials are usually synthesised at moderate to high temperatures, they can be transferred to any kind of substrate after growth, paving the way for the fabrication of flexible displays and large area electronics systems on plastic. Over the past few years, the field has progressed well beyond the realisation of elementary devices, since active matrix displays driven by nanowire thin film transistors have been demonstrated, as well as the fabrication of medium scale integrated circuits based on random arrays of carbon nanotubes. Also, graphene, a new nanomaterial has appeared in the landscape; although it is a zero gap semiconductor, it can still be used to make transistors, provided narrow ribbons or bilayers are used. Graphene is also a serious contender for the replacement of oxide-based transparent conducting films. #