Fabrication and performance of contamination free individual single-walled carbon nanotube optical devices

Contamination free individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) optical devices are fabricated using a hybrid method in the purpose of increase sensitivity as well as further understanding the sensing mechanism. The devices were tested in vacuum to avoid contamination. Three typical devices are discussed comparatively. Under infrared lamp illumination, photovoltaic and photoconductive properties are revealed in device A and B respectively, while device C shows no detectable signal. The photoresponse of device B reaches 108% at 78 K, much larger than that of horizontally aligned or network carbon nanotube devices, indicating priority of the individual nanotube device structure. Interestingly, the temperature characteristics of device A and B are just the opposite. The individual SWCNT devices hold promise in high performance and low cost optical sensors as well as nano-scale solar cells.