Comparative Evaluation of Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Networks Deposited on CMOS-Compatible Platform

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as channel material in a nanoscale or microscale gap between conducting electrodes. The contact potential of CNT-bundles deposited by inkjet-printing was measured by KFM (Kelvin probe force microscopy) using Pt-coated Si tips in ultra-high vacuum (~10–8 Pa). By comparing these results with electrical characteristics, SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscopy) measurements, we confirmed that the inkjet-printed CNT-bundles bridged the nanogap between different electrodes. Using this KFM technique, it can be shown how the potential of the CNT-bundles changes under the application of voltages. Combining these results, we investigate the electrical properties of CNT-networks deposited on CMOS-compatible platforms, aiming towards the development of hybrid nanoelectronics.