Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
This paper deals with preliminary measurements for prove-of-concept of a Carbon Nanotubes Field Effect Transistors (CNTFETs) based sensor array which could improve dramatically gas selectivity. CNTFET based sensors exploit the extremely sensitive change of the Schottky barrier heights between Single Wall Carbon NanoTubes (SWCNTs) and drain/source metal electrodes: the gas adsorption creates an interfacial dipole that modifies the metal work function and so the bending and the height of the Schottky barrier at the contacts [1,2]. Using CNTFET array fabricated using SWCNT mat as channel, we have achieved a sort of electronic fingerprinting of different gases. Actually, we want to demonstrate that the change of the metal electrode work function strictly depends on the metal/gas interaction : CNTFET transfer characteristics will change specifically as a function of this interaction. In this study we have fabricated different CNTFETs using three metal contacts (Au, Pd, Mo) and exposed them to two gases, DMMP and NH3, which have the same “electron-withdrawing” behavior. The CNTFETs array has been exposed to 1ppm of DMMP and 10ppm NH3 and we have identified two electronic fingerprinting. The totality of our measures have been performed at ambient conditions.