Effect of ambient air on n-type carbon nanotube thin-film transistors chemically doped with poly(ethylene imine)

Chemical doping with poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) is often used to produce n-type carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (CNT TFTs) with stability in air. However, the effect of air on the device characteristics has not yet been fully investigated. In this study, we performed a detailed investigation on how the oxygen and water present in air affect stability issues, including hysteresis, current collapse, and ambipolar properties of PEI-doped n-type CNT TFTs fabricated on a transparent plastic film. We found that current collapse and hysteresis are predominantly caused by the combination of water and oxygen, suggesting that a water/oxygen redox reaction is responsible for the instability of PEI-doped devices. Water vapor has a rather more severe impact in the case of PEI-doped devices than in the case of undoped CNT TFTs because of the hygroscopicity of PEI. Surface passivation with Al2O3, deposited by a low-temperature atomic layer deposition technique, notably improved the stability of the device properties in ambient air.