Fabrication of in-plane aligned carbon nanotube–polymer composite thin films

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In-plane aligned carbon nanotube–polymer composite thin films with submicrometer thickness on unmodified SiO2 surfaces are fabricated using the spincoating alignment technique, which is simple, integratable to the manufacture process of organic devices, and applicable to various matrix polymers (e.g. polycarbonate and polythiophene). Controlled manipulation of the nanotube alignment in a polymer matrix is an effective method to tune the electrical conductivity of a 5 wt.% single-walled carbon nanotube–polycarbonate composite film spanning nearly four orders of magnitude.