Electrical properties and devices of large-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes

Individual large-diameter (∼3 to 5 nm) semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are found to exhibit ambipolar field-effect transistor (FET) behavior, with easily accessible n- and p-conduction channels by simple electrostatic gates. The effects of temperature and ultraviolet radiation on their electrical properties are elucidated, shedding light into the intrinsic behavior of SWNTs in this relatively large-diameter regime. The ambipolar SWNT-FETs can be readily used as building blocks for functional nanoelectronic devices such as voltage inverters that operate under ambient conditions.