Carbon nanotube networks and their application in flexible display technology

This book describes the use of carbon nanotubes in form of randomly oriented networks in display technology. Carbon nanotubes can behave either like a metal or like a semiconductor and are used in this work as transparent conductive pixel electrodes as well as semiconducting channel in thin-film transistors. Monte-Carlo simulations examine more closely the percolation probabilities of metallic and semiconducting nanotubes. The experimental part covers methods to create stable surfactant suspensions from nanotube powders, simple and cost-effective low temperature deposition processes from liquid phase on glass and flexible plastic substrates and patterning procedures of the created films. Electrical and optical characterization gives insight on their performance. The realization of liquid crystal and OLED displays shows the compatibility of transparent carbon nanotube electrodes with production processes. Results of the semiconductor application are presented on a transistor level. The dependence of the transistor performance on the network density for both, mixed and highly semiconducting nanotubes is discussed.