Selective Conversion from p-Type to n-Type of Printed Bottom-Gate Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors and Application in Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Inverters

The fabrication of printed high-performance and environmentally stable n-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transistors and their integration into complementary (i.e., complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor, CMOS) circuits are widely recognized as key to achieving the full potential of carbon nanotube electronics. Here, we report a simple, efficient, and robust method to convert the polarity of SWCNT thin-film transistors (TFTs) using cheap and readily available ethanolamine as an electron doping agent. Printed p-type bottom-gate SWCNT TFTs can be selectively converted into n-type by deposition of ethanolamine inks on the transistor active region via aerosol jet printing. Resulted n-type TFTs show excellent electrical properties with an on/off ratio of 106, effective mobility up to 30 cm2 V–1 s–1, small hysteresis, and small subthreshold swing (90–140 mV dec–1), which are superior compared to the original p-type SWCNT devices. The n-type SWCNT TFTs also show good stability in air, and any deterio...