Protein-enabled control of photoresponse in individual carbon nanotube phototransistors

Carbon nanotube-based electronic circuits technology is actively developing using contemporary achievements in CVD growth and CMOS. The optical interconnection is considered as next step in photonic integrated circuits. The CNT-based technology provides new level is optoelectronics devices combining both the new chemistry of nanotubes and their unique properties to functionalization. The functionalization of carbon nanotubes is a promising way to increase the optical sensitivity of optoelectronic nanometer-scale devices. Utilized unique lithography approach based on photochemical processing, a fast and easy technique for modification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) optoelectronic properties through localized protein attachment is developed. It results in a novel approach of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes conversion to different types of optoelectronic devices just through the proper adsorption site of green fluorescent protein (GFP). The fabricated of optoelectronic junction in the field-effect transistors based on individual SWCNT drastically increases the photoresponse of such devices. The selective wavelength photoresponsivity of the SWCNT/GFP structures reaches the value of 7×10³
A W^-1 at 470 nm per single SWCNT at 1 V bias voltage. The SWCNT/GFP-based transistors with induced optoelectronic response can be applied to detect extremely small light intensities with high spatial and spectral resolution in photovoltaics, integrated circuits and telecommunication applications.