Abstract
Transparent conducting films (TCFs) are critical components of many optoelectronic devices that pervade modern technology. Due to their excellent optoelectronic properties and flexibility, single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films are regarded as an important alternative to doped metal oxides or brittle and expensive ceramic materials. Compared with liquid-phase processing, the dry floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method without dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in solution is more direct and simpler. By overcoming the tradeoff between CNT length and solubility during film fabrication, the dry FCCVD method enables production of films that contain longer CNTs and offer excellent optoelectronic properties. This review focuses on fabrication of SWNT films using the dry FCCVD method, covering SWNT synthesis, thin-film fabrication and performance regulation, the morphology of SWNTs and bundles, transparency and conductivity characteristics, random bundle films, patterned films, individual CNT networks, and various applications, especially as TCFs in touch displays. Films based on SWNTs produced by the dry FCCVD method are already commercially available for application in touch display devices. Further research on the dry FCCVD method could advance development of not only industrial applications of CNTs but also the fundamental science of related nanostructured materials and nanodevices.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
de Volder MFL, Tawfick SH, Baughman RH, Hart AJ (2013) Carbon nanotubes: present and future commercial applications. Science 339:535–539
Iijima S, Ichihashi T (1993) Single-shell carbon nanotubes of 1-nm diameter. Nature 363:603–605
Ijiima S (1991) Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon. Nature 354:56–58
Dresselhaus MS, Dresselhaus G, Saito R (1995) Physics of carbon nanotubes. Carbon N. Y. 33:883–891
Saito R et al (2001) Chirality-dependent G-band Raman intensity of carbon nanotubes. Phys Rev B 64:853121–853127
Cheng HM, Li F, Sun X, Brown SDM, Pimenta MA, Marucci A, Dresselhaus G, Dresselhaus MS (1998) Bulk morphology and diameter distribution of single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons. Chem Phys Lett 289:602–610
Saito R, Fujita M, Dresselhaus G, Dresselhaus MS (1992) Electronic structure of graphene tubules based on C60. Phys Rev B 46:1804–1811
Kane CL, Mele EJ (1997) Size, shape, and low energy electronic structure of carbon nanotubes. Phys Rev Lett 78:1932
Yao Z, Kane CL, Dekker C (2000) High-field electrical transport in single-wall carbon nanotubes. Phys Rev Lett 84:2941–2944
Zhou X, Park JJY, Huang S, Liu J, McEuen PPL (2005) Band structure, phonon scattering, and the performance limit of single-walled carbon nanotube transistors. Phys Rev Lett 95:146805
Pop E, Mann D, Wang Q, Goodson K, Dai HJ (2006) Thermal conductance of an individual single-wall carbon nanotube above room temperature. Nano Lett 6:96–100
Pan ZW et al (1999) Tensile tests of ropes of very long aligned multiwall carbon nanotubes. Appl Phys Lett 74:3152–3154
Yu M (2000) Strength and breaking mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes under tensile load. Science 287:637–640
Hu L, Hecht DS, Gru G (2010) Carbon nanotube thin films: fabrication, properties, and applications. Chem Rev 499:5790–5844
Ma W et al (2009) Monitoring a micromechanical process in macroscale carbon nanotube films and fibers. Adv Mater 21:603–608
Brieland-Shoultz A et al (2014) Scaling the stiffness, strength, and toughness of ceramic-coated nanotube foams into the structural regime. Adv Funct Mater 24:5728–5735
Zhou W, Bai X, Wang E, Xie S (2009) Synthesis, structure, and properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Adv Mater 21:4565–4583
Zhang Q et al (2017) Performance improvement of continuous carbon nanotube fibers by acid treatment. Chin Phys B 26:28802
Yu L, Shearer C, Shapter J (2016) Recent development of carbon nanotube transparent conductive films. Chem Rev 116:13413–13453
Cao Q, Rogers JA (2009) Ultrathin films of single-walled carbon nanotubes for electronics and sensors: a review of fundamental and applied aspects. Adv Mater 21:29–53
Zhou W, Ma W, Niu Z, Song L, Xie S (2012) Freestanding single-walled carbon nanotube bundle networks: fabrication, properties and composites. Chin Sci Bull 57:205–224
Ma W et al (2007) Directly synthesized strong, highly conducting, transparent single-walled carbon nanotube films. Nano Lett 7:2307–2311
Wu Z et al (2004) Transparent, conductive carbon nanotube films. Science 305:1273–1276
Mirri F et al (2012) High-performance carbon nanotube transparent conductive films by scalable dip coating. ACS Nano 6:9737–9744
Cao Q et al (2006) Highly bendable, transparent thin-film transistors that use carbon-nanotube-based conductors and semiconductors with elastomeric dielectrics. Adv Mater 18:304–309
Liu B et al (2009) Metal-catalyst-free growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes. J Am Chem Soc 131:2082–2083
Zhang L et al (2017) Selective growth of metal-free metallic and semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes. Adv Mater. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201605719
Zhang M (2005) Strong, transparent, multifunctional, carbon nanotube sheets. Science 309:1215–1219
Feng C et al (2010) Flexible, stretchable, transparent conducting films made from superaligned carbon nanotubes. Adv Funct Mater 20:885–891
Nasibulin AG et al (2011) Multifunctional free-standing single-walled carbon nanotube films. ACS Nano 5:3214–3221
Kaskela A et al (2010) Aerosol-synthesized SWCNT networks with tunable conductivity and transparency by a dry transfer technique. Nano Lett 10:4349–4355
Nasibulin AG et al (2008) Integration of single-walled carbon nanotubes into polymer films by thermo-compression. Chem Eng J 136:409–413
Kaskela A et al (2016) Highly individual SWCNTs for high performance thin film electronics. Carbon N Y 103:228–234
Baughman RH (2002) Carbon nanotubes-the route toward applications. Science 297:787–792
Nasibulin AG, Moisala A, Brown DP, Jiang H, Kauppinen EI (2005) A novel aerosol method for single walled carbon nanotube synthesis. Chem Phys Lett 402:227–232
Bronikowski MJ, Willis PA, Colbert DT, Smith KA, Smalley RE (2001) Gas-phase production of carbon single-walled nanotubes from carbon monoxide via the HiPco process: a parametric study. J Vac Sci Technol 19:1800–1805
Li Y-L (2004) Direct spinning of carbon nanotube fibers from chemical vapor deposition synthesis. Science 304:276–278
Gui X et al (2010) Soft, highly conductive nanotube sponges and composites with controlled compressibility. ACS Nano 4:2320–2326
Lamouroux E, Serp P, Kalck P (2007) Catalytic routes towards single wall carbon nanotubes. Catal Rev 49:341–405
Barnard JS, Paukner C, Koziol KK (2016) The role of carbon precursor on carbon nanotube chirality in floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition. Nanoscale 8:17262–17270
Moisala A, Nasibulin AG, Kauppinen EI (2003) The role of metal nanoparticles in the catalytic production of single-walled carbon nanotubes. J Phys Condens Matter 15(42):3011
Mustonen K et al (2015) Gas phase synthesis of non-bundled, small diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes with near-armchair chiralities. Appl Phys Lett 107:013106
Cheng HM et al (1998) Large-scale and low-cost synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes by the catalytic pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Appl Phys Lett 72:3282–3284
Li Y-L, Zhang L-H, Zhong X-H, Windle AH (2007) Synthesis of high purity single-walled carbon nanotubes from ethanol by catalytic gas flow CVD reactions. Nanotechnology 18:225604
Chen Z et al (2004) An enhanced CVD approach to extensive nanotube networks with directionality. Carbon N Y 12:275504
He M, Jiang H, Kauppinen EI, Lehtonen J (2012) Diameter and chiral angle distribution dependencies on the carbon precursors in surface-grown single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nanoscale 4:7394
Harutyunyan AR et al (2009) Preferential growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes with metallic conductivity. Science 326:116–120
Vilatela JJ, Windle AH (2010) Yarn-like carbon nanotube fibers. Adv Mater 22:4959–4963
Hou PX et al (2014) Preparation of metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes by selective etching. ACS Nano 8:7156–7162
Piao Y et al (2016) Intensity ratio of resonant Raman modes for (n, m) enriched semiconducting carbon nanotubes. ACS Nano 10:5252–5259
Jiang H, Nasibulin AG, Brown DP, Kauppinen EI (2007) Unambiguous atomic structural determination of single-walled carbon nanotubes by electron diffraction. Carbon N Y 45:662–667
He M et al (2013) Chiral-selective growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes on lattice-mismatched epitaxial cobalt nanoparticles. Sci Rep 3:1460
Nasibulin AG et al (2006) An essential role of CO2 and H2O during single-walled CNT synthesis from carbon monoxide. Chem Phys Lett 417:179–184
Moisala A et al (2006) Single-walled carbon nanotube synthesis using ferrocene and iron pentacarbonyl in a laminar flow reactor. Chem Eng Sci 61:4393–4402
Nasibulin AG et al (2007) A novel hybrid carbon material. Nat Nanotechnol 2:156–161
Hecht DS, Hu L, Irvin G (2011) Emerging transparent electrodes based on thin films of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metallic nanostructures. Adv Mater 23:1482–1513
Ellmer K (2012) Past achievements and future challenges in the development of optically transparent electrodes. Nat Photon 6:809–817
Chang DS, Lai ST (2015) Implementation of cross-generation automation transportation system in the TFT-LCD industry. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 78:753–763
Du J, Pei S, Ma L, Cheng HM (2014) 25th anniversary article: carbon nanotube- and graphene-based transparent conductive films for optoelectronic devices. Adv Mater 26:1958–1991
Feldman D et al. (2015) Shared solar: current landscape, market potential, and the impact of federal securities regulation (No. NREL/TP--6A20-63892). National Renewable Energy Lab.(NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Hecht DS et al (2009) Carbon-nanotube film on plastic as transparent electrode for resistive touch screens. J Soc Inf Disp 17:941
Anisimov AS, Brown DP, Mikladal BF, Liam Ó (2014) Printed touch sensors using carbon NanoBud material. Soc. Inf. Disp. Tech. Dig. 1–8
Garnett EC et al (2012) Self-limited plasmonic welding of silver nanowire junctions. Nat Mater 11:241–249
Lee JY, Connor ST, Cui Y, Peumans P (2008) Solution-processed metal nanowire mesh transparent electrodes. Nano Lett 8:689–692
Li X et al (2009) Large-area synthesis of high quality and uniform graphene films on copper foils. Science 324:1312–1314
Fukaya N et al (2014) One-step sub-10 μm patterning of carbon-nanotube thin films for transparent conductor applications. ACS Nano 8:3285–3293
Sun D-M et al (2013) Mouldable all-carbon integrated circuits. Nat Commun 4:1–8
Zhou W, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Xie S (2014) Ultrathin carbon nanotube film and preparation method and device thereof. U.S. Patent Application No. 14/889,753
Gonzalez D et al (2005) A new thermophoretic precipitator for collection of nanometer-sized aerosol particles. Aerosol Sci Technol 39:1064–1071
Yu L, Shearer C, Shapter J (2016) Recent development of carbon nanotube transparent conductive films. Chem Rev. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00179
Dionigi C et al (2007) Carbon nanotube networks patterned from aqueous solutions of latex bead carriers. J Mater Chem 17:3681
Castro MRS, Lasagni AF, Schmidt HK, Mücklich F (2008) Direct laser interference patterning of multi-walled carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive coatings. Appl Surf Sci 254:5874–5878
Fukaya N, Kim DY, Kishimoto S, Noda S, Ohno Y (2014) One-step sub-10 μm patterning of carbon-nanotube thin films for transparent conductor applications. ACS Nano 8:3285–3293
Zhou W et al (2004) Single wall carbon nanotube fibers extruded from super-acid suspensions: preferred orientation, electrical, and thermal transport. J Appl Phys 95:649–655
Dan B, Irvin GC, Pasquali M (2009) Continuous and scalable fabrication of transparent conducting carbon nanotube films. ACS Nano 3:835–843
Hu L, Hecht DS, Grüner G (2004) Percolation in transparent and conducting carbon nanotube networks. Nano Lett 4:2513–2517
Ruzicka B, Degiorgi L (2000) Optical and dc conductivity study of potassium-doped single-walled carbon nanotube films. Phys Rev B 61:R2468–R2471
Bergin SD et al (2008) Towards solutions of single-walled carbon nanotubes in common solvents. Adv Mater 20:1876–1881
Tian Y et al (2010) Analysis of the size distribution of single-walled carbon nanotubes using optical absorption spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 1:1143–1148
King PJ, Higgins TM, De S, Nicoloso N, Coleman JN (2012) Percolation effects in supercapacitors with thin, transparent carbon nanotube electrodes. ACS Nano 6:1732–1741
De S, King PJ, Lyons PE, Khan U, Coleman JN (2010) Size effects and the problem with percolation in nanostructured transparent conductors. ACS Nano 4:7064–7072
De S, Coleman JN (2011) The effects of percolation in nanostructured transparent conductors. MRS Bull 36:774–781
Harris JM et al (2012) Electronic durability of flexible transparent films from type-specific single-wall carbon nanotubes. ACS Nano 6:881–887
Timmermans MY et al (2012) Effect of carbon nanotube network morphology on thin film transistor performance. Nano Res 5:307–319
Znidarsic A et al (2013) Spatially resolved transport properties of pristine and doped single-walled carbon nanotube networks. J Phys Chem C 117:13324–13330
Farajian AA, Esfarjani K, Kawazoe Y (1999) Nonlinear coherent transport through doped nanotube junctions. Phys Rev Lett 82:5084–5087
Shin D-W et al (2009) A role of HNO3 on transparent conducting film with single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nanotechnology 20:475703
Susi T et al (2011) Nitrogen-doped single-walled carbon nanotube thin films exhibiting anomalous sheet resistances. Chem Mater 23:2201–2208
Geng H-Z et al (2007) Effect of acid treatment on carbon nanotube-based flexible transparent conducting films. J Am Chem Soc 129:7758–7759
Lyons PE et al (2008) The relationship between network morphology and conductivity in nanotube films. J Appl Phys 104:044302
Hecht D, Hu L, Grüner G (2006) Conductivity scaling with bundle length and diameter in single walled carbon nanotube networks. Appl Phys Lett 89:133112
Anoshkin IV et al (2014) Hybrid carbon source for single-walled carbon nanotube synthesis by aerosol CVD method. Carbon N Y 78:130–136
Reynaud O et al (2014) Aerosol feeding of catalyst precursor for CNT synthesis and highly conductive and transparent film fabrication. Chem Eng J 255:134–140
Hata K et al (2004) Water-assisted highly efficient synthesis of impurity-free single-walled carbon nanotubes. Science 306:1362–1364
Shin DH, Shim HC, Song JW, Kim S, Han CS (2009) Conductivity of films made from single-walled carbon nanotubes in terms of bundle diameter. Scr Mater 60:607–610
Han J-H, Strano MS (2014) Room temperature carrier transport through large diameter bundles of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube. Mater Res Bull 58:1–5
Nirmalraj PN, Lyons PE, De S, Coleman JN, Boland JJ (2009) Electrical connectivity in single-walled carbon nanotube networks. Nano Lett 9:3890–3895
Mustonen K et al (2015) Uncovering the ultimate performance of single-walled carbon nanotube films as transparent conductors. Appl Phys Lett 107:1–6
Blackburn JL et al (2008) Transparent conductive single-walled carbon nanotube networks with precisely tunable ratios of semiconducting and metallic nanotubes. ACS Nano 2:1266–1274
Rother M, Schießl SP, Zakharko Y, Gannott F, Zaumseil J (2016) Understanding charge transport in mixed networks of semiconducting carbon nanotubes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8:5571–5579
Zhang WJ, Zhang QF, Chai Y, Shen X, Wu JL (2007) Carbon nanotube intramolecular junctions. Nanotechnology 18:395205
Ouyang M (2001) Atomically resolved single-walled carbon nanotube intramolecular junctions. Science 291:97–100
Stadermann M et al (2004) Nanoscale study of conduction through carbon nanotube networks. Phys Rev B 69:201402
Topinka MA, Rowell MW, Goldhaber-gordon D, Mcgehee MD, Gruner G (2009) Charge transport in interpenetrating networks of semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes. Nano Lett 9:2–4
Hayes RA, Feenstra BJ (2003) Video-speed electronic paper based on electrowetting. Nature 425:383–385
Park Y, Hu L, Gruner G, Irvin G, Drzaic P (2008) 37.4: late-news paper : integration of carbon nanotube transparent electrodes into display applications. Sid Dig. https://doi.org/10.1889/1.3069721
Zhang D et al (2006) Transparent, conductive, and flexible carbon nanotube films and their application in organic light-emitting diodes. Nano Lett 6:1880–1886
Li J et al (2006) Organic light-emitting diodes having carbon nanotube anodes. Nano Lett 6:2472–2477
Trancik JE, Barton SC, Hone J (2008) Transparent and catalytic carbon nanotube films. Nano Lett 8:982–987
Park J-U et al (2007) High-resolution electrohydrodynamic jet printing. Nat Mater 6:782–789
Yang F et al (2014) Chirality-specific growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes on solid alloy catalysts. Nature 510:522–524
Krupke R, Hennrich F, Löhneysen HV, Kappes MM (2003) Separation of metallic from semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes. Science 301:344–347
Park S, Vosguerichian M, Bao Z (2013) A review of fabrication and applications of carbon nanotube film-based flexible electronics. Nanoscale 5:1727
Jackson R, Domercq B, Jain R, Kippelen B, Graham S (2008) Stability of doped transparent carbon nanotube electrodes. Adv Funct Mater 18:2548–2554
Doherty EM et al (2009) The spatial uniformity and electromechanical stability of transparent, conductive films of single walled nanotubes. Carbon N Y 47:2466–2473
Lipomi DJ et al (2011) Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes. Nat Nanotechnol 6:788–792
Cai L et al (2012) Highly transparent and conductive stretchable conductors based on hierarchical reticulate single-walled carbon nanotube architecture. Adv Funct Mater 22:5238–5244
Kim SN, Rusling JF, Papadimitrakopoulos F (2007) Carbon nanotubes for electronic and electrochemical detection of biomolecules. Adv Mater 19:3214–3228
Avouris P, Freitag M, Perebeinos V (2008) Carbon-nanotube photonics and optoelectronics. Nat Photon 2:341–350
Kivistö S et al (2009) Carbon nanotube films for ultrafast broadband technology. Opt Express 17:2358
Rotermund F et al (2012) Mode-locking of solid-state lasers by single-walled carbon-nanotube based saturable absorbers. Quantum Electron 42:663–670
Xiao L et al (2008) Flexible, stretchable, transparent carbon nanotube thin film loudspeakers. Nano Lett 8:4539–4545
Niu Z et al (2011) Compact-designed supercapacitors using free-standing single-walled carbon nanotube films. Energy Environ Sci 4:1440
Niu Z et al (2013) Highly stretchable, integrated supercapacitors based on single-walled carbon nanotube films with continuous reticulate architecture. Adv Mater 25:1058–1064
Liu C, Li F, Ma LP, Cheng HM (2010) Advanced materials for energy storage. Adv Mater 22:E28
Mustonen K et al (2012) Influence of the diameter of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles on the optoelectronic performance of dry-deposited thin films. Beilstein J Nanotechnol 3:692–702
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge financial support from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No. 604472 (IRENA project), the Aalto Energy Efficiency (AEF) Research Program through the MOPPI project, TEKES of Finland via CNT-PV project, and Academy of Finland via projects 286546 and 292600.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is part of the Topical Collection “Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Preparation, Property and Application”; edited by Yan Li, Shigeo Maruyama.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, Q., Wei, N., Laiho, P. et al. Recent Developments in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin Films Fabricated by Dry Floating Catalyst Chemical Vapor Deposition. Top Curr Chem (Z) 375, 90 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-017-0178-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-017-0178-8