Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Nanoelectronics

Interest in carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics is sparked by the theoretical prediction of a one-dimensional (ID) conductor impervious to the Peierls distortion, and whose electronic properties could be tuned through changes in atomic structure. Nanometer-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have since been mass produced, and are indeed metallic or semiconducting depending sensitively on their diameter and helicity. Experiments have revealed a material that has exceeded all expectations: metallic SWNTs rival the best metals in conductivity at room temperature, and semiconducting SWNTs have room temperature mobilities comparable to the best semiconductors Furthermore, the chapter provides an overview of the current state of research on nanoscale electronic devices incorporating carbon nanotubes. These devices range from field-effect and single-electron transistors to more exotic junction devices and electromechanical devices.