Highly bendable, transparent thin-film transistors that use carbon-nanotube-based conductors and semiconductors with elastomeric dielectrics

The use of networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with high and moderate coverages for all of the conducting and semiconducting layers, respectively, of a type of transparent, mechanically flexible, thin-film transistor (TFT), was analyzed. The transparent and flexible TFTs with good electrical properties can be realized with transfer printing chemical vapor deposition (CVD) SWNT networks for use as the source/drain and gate electrodes. When implemented with elastomeric dielectrics and flexible plastic substrates, these devices show extremely high degrees of flexibility. The results show that emerging chemical and electrical approaches appear promising for increasing the on/off ratios.