Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene - Research and Applications

Researchers fabricated transparent conductive thin films via the chemical assembly of ca-SWNTs with linker molecules onto an aminosilane-modified glass plate. Imaging by SEM showed uniform morphology and high-density multilayer structure over large areas. UV–vis spectroscopy analysis showed excellent transmittance in visible light region and good electrical conductivity. The thermal treatment (250 ◦C) significantly improved the transmittance (to greater than 90%) due to the removal of adsorbed organic molecules, and enhanced electrical conductivity because electron tunneling or hoping between ca-SWNT bundles became more effective by the elimination of the trapped organic materials.
The work function (measured by photoelectron spectroscopy) of the SWNT thin film was measured to 5.22 eV similar to the value of chemically shortened SWNT, which was slightly decreased to 5.12 eV by the thermal treatment. The excellent transmittance, good film uniformity and electric properties of these films demonstrate that such SWNT thin film can find a wide range of applications in optoelectronic devices requiring transparent electrode.