Effect of doping on single-walled carbon nanotubes network of different metallicity

Abstract

Effects of doping on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) networks with different metallicity are reported through the study of sheet resistance changes upon annealing and acid treatment. SWNT film with high metallic tube content is found to have relatively good chemical stability against post treatments, as demonstrated from its stable film performance in ambient after annealing, and merely 15% reduction in sheet resistance upon sulfuric acid treatment. Conversely, film stability of SWNT film with low metallic content which comprises largely of semiconducting SWNT varies with days in ambient, and its sheet resistance changes drastically after treated with acid, indicating the extreme sensitivity of semiconducting SWNT to surrounding environment. The results suggest that annealing removes unintentional oxygen doping from the ambient and shifts the Fermi level towards the intrinsic Fermi level. Acid treatment, on the other hand, introduces physisorbed and chemisorbed oxygen and shifts the Fermi level away from the intrinsic level and increases the hole doping. © 2012 Tey et al.