Carbon-nanotube-based single-electron/hole transistors

Single-walled-carbon-nanotube (SWNT)-based single-electron/hole devices are fabricated with long SWNT channel surrounded by several short SWNTs on the electrodes. The channel current of the device is suggested to be controlled by the Schottky barriers, which are very sensitive to the electrostatic potential at the SWNT/electrode contacts. Coulomb blockade phenomena in the channel current below 70 K suggest two-fold effects caused by single electron/hole charging the short SWNTs: (1) The charged short SWNTs have a significant characteristic of Coulomb blockade, and (2) the electrostatic potential of charged short SWNTs modify the Schottky barrier, and hence the channel current.