Carbon Nanotube Metal Polymer Composites for Flexible Active Interconnects

Abstract

We report on the fabrication and characterization of metal polymer carbon nanotube (MPCNT) composites for flexible active interconnects. Our experiments demonstrated that such carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced polymer-metal composites have several times higher tolerance to bending strains than the metal-polymer composites without the CNTs layer. Since CNT-polymer layer is electrically insulated from the metal layer until destructive breakdown, it is feasible to fabricate electronic components isolated from the metal layer in the MPCNT composites. Thus, the MPCNT composites-based interconnects could be utilized as a platform for CNTs-based sensors and CNT Thin Film Transistors (TFTs). To estimate the electrical characteristics of the MPCNT devices, we developed the compact unified charge control model (UCCM) for CNT TFTs. The model was validated by comparison of the simulated results with experimental data reported earlier. We further investigated humidity sensing based on the CNT-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) composites, and demonstrated the potential for the MPCNT sensing applications.