Tailoring the density of carbon nanotube networks through chemical self-assembly by click reaction for reliable transistors

Abstract

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWNTs) are attracting considerable interest for use as active layers in various electronic applications such as field-effect transistors (FETs) because of their extremely high intrinsic charge carrier mobility and solution processability at low costs. However, it is challenging to achieve a constant sc-SWNT density for ensuring commercial-level, uniform performance in FETs based on random-network SWNT films formed by solution processing. This paper reports a facile method for sorting sc-SWNT and precisely controlling the density of random-network sc-SWNT films by azide-functionalized polymer. The chemical self-assembly of SWNTs is performed between azide-functionalized polymer-wrapped sc-SWNTs and alkyne-based substrate via click reaction. A high-purity sc-SWNT ink is obtained by the conjugated polymer wrapping method using an azide-functionalized polyfluorene in methylcyclohexane. The sc-SWNTs are then chemically bound to a substrate with an alkyne adhesive layer through a Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. FETs with dense and uniform SWNT films with a linear density of 30 (±2) tubes μm−1 exhibit markedly high hole mobility of up to 25.4 cm2 V−1 s−1 and excellent performance uniformity. Furthermore, the SWNT films anchored on the substrates are highly resistant to exogenous disruptions, such as sonication in organic solvents, leading the great potential for applications such as biosensors that require strong adhesive strength.