Band Structure, Phonon Scattering and the Ultimate Performance of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Transistors

TL;DR

This study investigates the fundamental limits of single-walled carbon nanotube transistors by analyzing how their electronic properties are affected by band structure and phonon scattering, providing insights into their maximum achievable performance.

Contribution

It offers experimental validation of theoretical models for phonon scattering and establishes upper bounds for nanotube transistor performance in the diffusive regime.

Findings

Mobility scales with the square of nanotube diameter and inversely with temperature.

Maximum conductance is linear in diameter and inversely proportional to temperature.

Results align with theoretical predictions for acoustic phonon scattering.

Abstract

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes are studied in the diffusive transport regime. The peak mobility is found to scale with the square of the nanotube diameter and inversely with temperature. The maximum conductance, corrected for the contacts, is linear in the diameter and inverse temperature. These results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions for acoustic phonon scattering in combination with the unusual band structure of nanotubes. These measurements set the upper bound for the performance of nanotube transistors operating in the diffusive regime.