Carbon nanotubes boost flexible thin-film transistors

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts—Lowell and Brewer Science Inc have developed a flexible film loaded with carbon nanotubes for use in printable electronic circuits. The researchers based the technique on an ultrapure solution containing a very high density of the nanotubes and very low densities of metallic and carboniferous contaminants.

The researchers have demonstrated formation of a thin-film transistor by depositing a droplet of the solution onto a flexible substrate. They claim that the transistor has shown modulation speed of 312 MHz, well in excess of frequencies scientists have achieved with conventional thin-film materials. The researchers also claim that the solution is compatible with conventional ink-jet-printing processes, so large-scale production of high-frequency circuits should be feasible.