Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), cylindrical nanostructures made of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, have proved to be promising for the fabrication of various electronic devices. In fact, these structures exhibit outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, both of which are highly favorable for the development of transistors (i.e., the devices that control the flow of current in electronics).
In recent years, several electronics engineers have started using CNTs to develop various electronics, including metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). MOSFETs are transistors that control the flow of current through a semiconducting channel utilizing an electric field applied to a gate electrode.
Notably, when arrays of CNTs are used to develop MOSFETs, they can operate at radio frequencies (RF), the range of electromagnetic waves that support wireless communication. The resulting MOSFETs could thus be particularly advantageous for the advancement of wireless communication systems and technologies.
Researchers at Peking University, Xiangtan University and Zhejiang University recently developed new CNT-based MOSFETs that can operate effectively at THz frequencies, which essentially means that they can switch or amplify signals that change over a trillion times per second. The new transistors, presented in a paper published in Nature Electronics, could open new possibilities for the development of ultra-fast wireless communication systems, as well as high-speed radar and computing systems.
To read more, click here.