Physical Removal of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes from Nanotube Network Devices Using a Thermal and Fluidic Process

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel thermal and fluidic method to selectively remove metallic carbon nanotubes from nanotube network devices, improving their electronic properties by targeting metallic impurities post-fabrication.

Contribution

The study presents a new approach using alkyl functionalization and thermal desorption to physically remove metallic nanotubes from devices after fabrication.

Findings

Effective removal of metallic nanotubes demonstrated

Process applicable to devices post-fabrication

Improved device performance observed

Abstract

Electronic and optoelectronic devices based on thin films of carbon nanotubes are currently limited by the presence of metallic nanotubes. Here we present a novel approach based on nanotube alkyl functionalization to physically remove the metallic nanotubes from such network devices. The process relies on preferential thermal desorption of the alkyls from the semiconducting nanotubes and the subsequent dissolution and selective removal of the metallic nanotubes in chloroform. The approach is versatile and is applied to devices post-fabrication.