posted on 2016-01-26, 00:00authored byXuan Cao, Yu Cao, Chongwu Zhou
Flexible thin-film transistors based
on semiconducting single-wall
carbon nanotubes are promising for flexible digital circuits, artificial
skins, radio frequency devices, active-matrix-based displays, and
sensors due to the outstanding electrical properties and intrinsic
mechanical strength of carbon nanotubes. Nevertheless, previous research
effort only led to nanotube thin-film transistors with the smallest
bending radius down to 1 mm. In this paper, we have realized the full
potential of carbon nanotubes by making ultraflexible and imperceptible
p-type transistors and circuits with a bending radius down to 40 μm.
In addition, the resulted transistors show mobility up to 12.04 cm2 V–1 S–1, high on–off ratio (∼106), ultralight weight
(<3 g/m2), and good mechanical robustness (accommodating
severe crumpling and 67% compressive strain). Furthermore, the nanotube
circuits can operate properly with 33% compressive strain. On the
basis of the aforementioned features, our ultraflexible p-type nanotube
transistors and circuits have great potential to work as indispensable
components for ultraflexible complementary electronics.