Dr. Ali Javey,
Stanford University

Carbon Nanotube Electronics

Molecular electronics is an emerging field with a goal of developing miniaturized device elements based on the bottom-up synthetic processes. As the conventional Si technology reaches its scaling limit, many have approached novel molecular concepts, such as nanotube-based electronics, as alternatives. Carbon nanotubes are chemically derived quantum wires (diameter ~ 1 nm) with atomically well-defined structures, and are ideal for elucidating basic phenomena in 1-D and have been proposed as the potential building blocks for future nanoelectronics. In this talk, I will discuss ohmic contacts, high-k dielectric integration, electrostatics, device physics, and electron-phonon interactions in carbon nanotube devices with novel geometries. Unprecedented near-ballistic electron transport is observed at room temperature in nanotube FETs with high-k dielectrics, capable of delivering higher current densities and therefore switching speeds than the state-of-the-art Si MOSFETs. The results show the promise of nanotube building blocks in paving a "revolutionary" pathway for future generation of high density and performance digital electronics. Furthermore, I will present electron transport spectroscopy measurements of molecular-scale organic electronics obtained by incorporating metallic nanotubes as miniaturized contact materials with better electrostatic gate control and contact transparencies than the bulk metal contacts.