High-Field Quasi-Ballistic Transport in Short Carbon Nanotubes

Authors

Ali Javey, Stanford University
Jing Guo, Purdue University
Magnus Paulsson, Purdue University
Qian Wang, Stanford University
Mark S. Lundstrom, Purdue UniversityFollow
Hongjie Dai, Purdue University
David Mann, Stanford University

Abstract

Single walled carbon nanotubes with Pd Ohmic contacts and lengths ranging from several microns down to 10 nm are investigated by electron transport experiments and theory. The mean-free path (MFP) for acoustic phonon scattering is estimated to be lap ~300  nm, and that for optical phonon scattering is lop ~15  nm. Transport through very short (~10  nm) nanotubes is free of significant acoustic and optical phonon scattering and thus ballistic and quasiballistic at the low- and high-bias voltage limits, respectively. High currents of up to 70   μA can flow through a short nanotube. Possible mechanisms for the eventual electrical breakdown of short nanotubes at high fields are discussed. The results presented here have important implications to high performance nanotube transistors and interconnects.

Comments

This is the published version of High-Field Quasiballistic Transport in Short Carbon Nanotubes. Ali Javey, Jing Guo, Magnus Paulsson, Qian Wang, David Mann, Mark Lundstrom, and Hongjie Dai Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 106804 – Published 12 March 2004. First published in the Physical Review Letters and is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.106804.

Date of this Version

2004

Published in:

Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 106804