Spatially selective guided growth of high-coverage arrays and random networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes and their integration into electronic devices

The chemical vapor deposition growth of unusual arrangements of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by the combined of use patterned catalysts and quartz substrates is reported. Nearly perfectly aligned, high-coverage arrays of SWNTs can be generated in this manner. High-coverage random networks of SWNTs can also be created in the same growth step, with good spatial alignment and electrical interfaces to the aligned arrays. Tubes with these geometries are ideally suited to applications in thin-film electronic devices. We demonstrate this possibility through the construction of thin-film-type transistors in which the random networks form the source and drain electrodes and the aligned arrays form the channel.