Precise pitch-scaling of carbon nanotube arrays within three-dimensional DNA nanotrenches

TLDR

DNA bricks enable construction of aligned, dense carbon‑nanotube arrays for field‑effect transistors, but challenges remain in achieving precise alignment and low‑resistance contacts. The authors wrapped CNTs with single‑stranded DNA, assembled them into DNA origami bricks to create arrays with 10.4‑nm pitches, then integrated these arrays onto polymer‑templated silicon wafers, removed the DNA, and deposited metal contacts, electrodes, and gate dielectrics. The resulting FETs exhibited high on‑state performance and rapid on‑off switching. Published in Science, pages 874–878.

Abstract

DNA bricks build nanotube transistors Semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an attractive platform for field-effect transistors (FETs) because they potentially can outperform silicon as dimensions shrink. Challenges to achieving superior performance include creating highly aligned and dense arrays of nanotubes as well as removing coatings that increase contact resistance. Sun et al. aligned CNTs by wrapping them with single-stranded DNA handles and binding them into DNA origami bricks that formed an array of channels with precise intertube pitches as small as 10.4 nanometers. Zhao et al. then constructed single and multichannel FETs by attaching the arrays to a polymer-templated silicon wafer. After adding metal contacts across the CNTs to fix them to the substrate, they washed away all of the DNA and then deposited electrodes and gate dielectrics. The FETs showed high on-state performance and fast on-off switching. Science , this issue p. 874 , p. 878