Method for making thin film transistor

1. A method for making a thin film transistor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a carbon nanotube array and an insulating substrate;

(b) pulling out a first carbon nanotube film and a second carbon nanotube film from the carbon nanotube array by using a tool, each of the first and second carbon nanotube films comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes being primarily oriented along the same direction;

(c) forming a semiconducting layer by:

placing the first carbon nanotube film on a surface of the insulating substrate along a first direction; and

stacking the second carbon nanotube film on the first carbon nanotube film along a second direction such that the carbon nanotubes in the first carbon nanotube film are oriented along a different direction than the carbon nanotubes in the second carbon nanotube film;

(d) forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode; and

(e) covering the carbon nanotube layer with an insulating layer;

wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are spaced from each other, and electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layer; the gate electrode is located on the insulating layer and electrically insulated from the carbon nanotube layer by the insulating layer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the directions of the carbon nanotubes extend substantially from the source electrode to the drain electrode.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are formed directly on the carbon nanotube layer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step (g) of eliminating metallic carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein step (g) further comprises a step of applying a voltage between the source electrode and the drain electrode in order to break down the metallic carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein step (g) further comprises a step of irradiating the carbon nanotube layer with a hydrogen plasma, microwave, terahertz, infrared, ultraviolet, or visible light in order to break down the metallic carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of adhering the carbon nanotube layer to the surface of the insulating substrate by treating the carbon nanotube layer with an organic solvent after step (c).

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a material of the insulating substrate is selected from the group consisting of plastic and resin.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in step (e), the insulating layer covers the source electrode and the drain electrode.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein step (e) further comprises a step of exposing a part of the source electrode and the drain electrode.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a material of the source electrode, drain electrode, and gate electrode is metallic carbon nanotubes.

14. A method for making a thin film transistor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a′) providing a carbon nanotube array and an insulating substrate;

(b′) pulling out a first carbon nanotube film and a second carbon nanotube film from the carbon nanotube array by using a tool, each of the first and second carbon nanotube films comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes being primarily oriented along the same direction;

(c′) forming a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

(d′) covering the gate electrode with an insulating layer;

(e′) forming a semiconducting layer by:

laying the first carbon nanotube film on the insulating layer along a first direction; and

stacking the second carbon nanotube film on the first carbon nanotube film along a second direction such that the carbon nanotubes in the first carbon nanotube film are oriented along a different direction than the carbon nanotubes in the second carbon nanotube film; and

wherein the gate electrode is located on the insulating substrate, and the source electrode and the drain electrode are electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layer.

15. A method for making thin film transistors, the method comprising the steps of:

(a″) providing a carbon nanotube array and an insulating substrate;

(b″) pulling out a first carbon nanotube film and a second carbon nanotube film from the carbon nanotube array by using a tool, each of the first and second carbon nanotube films comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes being primarily oriented along the same direction;

(c″) adhering a semiconducting layer on the insulating substrate by:

placing the first carbon nanotube film on a surface of the insulating substrate along a first direction; and

stacking the second carbon nanotube film on the first carbon nanotube film along a second direction such that the carbon nanotubes in the first carbon nanotube film are oriented along a different direction than the carbon nanotubes in the second carbon nanotube film;

(g″) treating the carbon nanotube layer adhered on the insulating substrate with an organic solvent;

(d″) patterning the first and second carbon nanotube films, to form a plurality of carbon nanotube layers; and

(e″) forming a plurality of pairs of source electrodes, drain electrodes, and a plurality of gate electrodes;

wherein the source electrodes and the drain electrodes are electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layers, the gate electrodes are electrically insulated from the carbon nanotube layers by the insulating layers.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein in step (d″), the first and second carbon nanotube films are cut by laser beam to form the carbon nanotube layers arranged along columns and rows.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein in step (d″), the first and second carbon nanotube films are etched by plasma to form the carbon nanotube layers arranged along columns and rows.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second carbon nanotube films are combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween.