Determination of the electrostatic lever arm of carbon nanotube field effect transistors using Kelvin force microscopy

We use Kelvin force microscopy (KFM) to study the electrostatic properties of single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistor devices (CNTFETs) with backgate geometry at room temperature. We show that KFM maps recorded as a function of the device backgate polarization enable a complete phenomenological determination of the averaging effects associated with the KFM probe side capacitances, and thus, to obtain KFM measurements with quantitative character. The value of the electrostatic lever arm of the CNTFET is determined from KFM measurements and found in agreement with transport measurements based on Coulomb blockade.