Properties and Applications of Carbon Nanotube Films

Since 1950, the adage has been "silicon for electronics, carbon for life." However, the discovery in 1993 of the single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT), sparked interest in everyone from scientists to VCs over the electric potential of SWNTs, particularly for use in flexible or printable electronics. This book provides an overview of the fabrication, properties, and applications of thin films (networks) of SWNTs. Various aqueous phase dispersion and coating methods on rigid and flexible substrates will be explored. Fundamental transport studies on films of various densities, as a function of temperature and frequency, are fit to theory. Thin, transparent films of SWNTs (and graphene) are fabricated, and evaluated for use in applications that require a transparent electrode, such as touch screens, displays, and solar cells. Solution deposited films are made into FETs for the first demonstration of a transparent SWNT transistor. Finally, the photophysics of a por­phyrin/SWNT composite are measured, and evaluated for possible uses as an artificial eye. This book should prove especially useful for professionals in the fields of nanotechnology and flexible electronics.