Carbon nanotubes for high-performance electronics - Progress and prospect

Carbon nanotube devices offer intrinsic advantages for high-performance logic device applications. The ultrasmall body of a carbon nanotube-the tube diameter-is the key feature that should allow aggressive channel length scaling, while the intrinsic transport properties of the nanotube ensure at the same time high on-currents. In addition, the narrowness of the tube is critical to implementation of novel device concepts like the tunneling transistor. By understanding the unique capabilities of carbon nanotubes and using them in unconventional designs, novel nanoelectronic applications may become feasible. However, much better control of materials quality must be obtained, and new fabrication processes must be developed before such applications can be realized. © 2008 IEEE.