Nano-seeding catalysts for high-density arrays of horizontally aligned carbon nanotubes with wafer-scale uniformity

Ying Xie; Yue Li; Zhisheng Peng; Chengyu Wang; Zanlin Qiu; Xinyi Cai; Tinglu Song; Jia Si; Xiaoxu Zhao; Liu Qian; Ziqiang Zhao; Jin Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55515-0

Nano-seeding catalysts for high-density arrays of horizontally aligned carbon nanotubes with wafer-scale uniformity

Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 2;16(1):149. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55515-0.

Authors

Ying Xie^#^{1

2}, Yue Li^#^{1

3}, Zhisheng Peng^#¹, Chengyu Wang⁴, Zanlin Qiu¹, Xinyi Cai², Tinglu Song⁵, Jia Si⁴, Xiaoxu Zhao¹, Liu Qian⁶, Ziqiang Zhao⁷, Jin Zhang^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
² Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, P. R. China.
⁴ Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices and Center for Carbon-based Electronics, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁵ Experimental Center of Advanced Materials School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
⁶ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, P. R. China. [email protected].
⁸ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. [email protected].
⁹ Beijing Science and Engineering Center for Nanocarbons, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. [email protected].

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

In the realm of modern materials science, horizontally aligned carbon nanotube arrays stand as promising materials for the development of next-generation integrated circuits. However, their large-scale integration has been impeded by the constraints of current fabrication techniques, which struggle to achieve the necessary uniformity, density, and size control of carbon nanotube arrays. Overcoming this challenge necessitates a significant shift in fabrication approaches. Herein, we present a nano-seeding method that revolutionized the preparation of catalyst nanoparticles, crucial for carbon-nanotube-array synthesis. Our approach, underpinned by ion implantation and substrate processing, allows for precise control over catalyst formation. Further development of a vertical spraying chemical vapor deposition system homogenizes the gas flow and ensures the uniform growth of carbon nanotube arrays. This nano-seeding method culminates in the direct growth of one-inch carbon-nanotube-array wafers with the highest density of 140 tubes μm^-1. The high density and uniformity of the as-prepared carbon-nanotube-array wafers are validated through an advanced high-throughput characterization technique. The electrical properties of high on-state current, high on/off ratio and low subthreshold swing are demonstrated in field-effect transistors based on the arrays. This study propels the scalability of carbon-nanotube-array fabrication for future carbon-based electronics.

Abstract

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