Single-wall carbon nanotube field effect transistors with non-volatile memory operation

We describe the fabrication and electrical characteristics of single-wall carbon-nanotubes field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs) with a non-volatile memory function using ferroelectric thin films as gate insulators. The ferroelectric-gate CNT-FETs were fabricated using single-wall CNTs synthesized from alcohol by catalytic chemical vapor deposition and sot-gel derived PbZr0.5Ti0.5O3 thin films. The ferroelectric-gate CNT-FETs showed modulation of the drain current with the gate voltage and the threshold voltage shift (memory window) on the drain current-gate voltage characteristics. Moreover, the memory window was saturated around 1.1 V as the gate voltage sweeping range increased. These results indicate that carriers in CNTs are controlled by spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric films. Because ferroelectrics exhibit complex couplings between their electrical, structural, mechanical, thermal, and optical properties, and because CNTs have unique mechanical and electrical properties, ferroelectric-gate CNT-FETs offer promise as potentially useful nanoelectronics devices not only for non-volatile memory elements but also for high-sensitivity sensors.