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Boosting carbon nanotube transistors through γ-ray irradiation
Ke Zhang1,2, Ningfei Gao3,4, Jiahao Zhang3
1Fert Beijing Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Nature Communications
|January 21, 2026
Summary
High-energy gamma-ray irradiation improves carbon nanotube field-effect transistors by reducing leakage current and enhancing gate control. This breakthrough advances low-power electronics for the post-Moore era.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electronics Engineering
Background:
- Advanced electronics require performance beyond silicon limits.
- Carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) offer superior performance but suffer from interface issues.
- These imperfections lead to poor gate control and current leakage in CNTFETs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mitigate interface imperfections in CNTFETs.
- To enhance gate controllability and reduce leakage current.
- To improve the radiation tolerance of CNTFETs for practical applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing high-energy gamma-ray irradiation to treat CNTFETs.
- Implementing a quasi-gate-all-around architecture.
- Characterizing device performance, including off-state current and on/off ratio.
Main Results:
- Gamma-ray irradiation significantly reduced off-state current density to 112.2 pA μm-1.
- Achieved an on/off ratio of approximately 105, nearing the low-power target.
- Demonstrated radiation tolerance up to 100 Mrad(Si) for the quasi-gate-all-around architecture.
Conclusions:
- High-energy gamma-ray irradiation is an effective foundry-compatible strategy for improving CNTFETs.
- The treated CNTFETs exhibit enhanced performance and radiation hardness.
- This approach advances the practical application of nanotube transistors in advanced electronics.
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