Heterostructure Nanotube Devices

Abstract

Heterostructure devices incorporate carbon nanotube technology to implement rectifying devices including diodes, rectifiers, silicon-controlled rectifiers, varistors, and thyristors. In a specific implementation, a rectifying device includes carbon nanotube and nanowire elements. The carbon nanotubes may be single-walled carbon nanotubes. The devices may be formed using parallel pores of a porous structure. The porous structure may be anodized aluminum oxide or another material. A device of the invention may be especially suited for high power applications.

1 . A structure comprising:
 a template having a top surface and a bottom surface, the template comprising a plurality of openings extending into the template from the top surface toward the bottom surface, each opening having a single-walled carbon nanotube in a first portion of the opening and a nanowire in a second portion of the opening, wherein the nanowire is coupled to the single-walled carbon nanotube of the opening;   a first electrode coupled to single-walled carbon nanotubes of the openings; and   a second electrode coupled to nanowires of the openings.   
     
     
         2 . The structure of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first gate region and a second gate region, wherein between the first and second gate regions are at least two single-walled carbon nanotubes and corresponding nanowires.   
     
     
         3 . The structure of  claim 2  where the first gate region and the second gate region extend into the template. 
     
     
         4 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the template is on a substrate and the substrate is thicker than the template. 
     
     
         5 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the openings are pores extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the template. 
     
     
         6 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the first electrode is on the top surface of the template and the second electrode is on the bottom surface of the template. 
     
     
         7 . The structure of  claim 4  wherein the second electrode is between the template and the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the single-walled carbon nanotubes are semiconducting nanotubes. 
     
     
         9 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the single-walled carbon nanotubes are nonmetallic nanotubes. 
     
     
         10 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the nanowires comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, gallium nitride, or metal oxide. 
     
     
         11 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein a nanowire comprises a p-n junction. 
     
     
         12 . A transistor device comprising the structure as recited  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An electronic system comprising a structure as recited in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A structure comprising:
 a template having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the template comprises a first material with a plurality of openings that extends into the template from the top surface toward the bottom surface,   each opening has a hollow tubular structure in a first portion of the opening and a solid core wire structure in a second portion of the opening, wherein each hollow tubular structure comprises a second material, different form the first material, and each solid core wire structure comprise a third material, different from the first and second materials, and   the solid core wire structure is coupled to a hollow tubular structure of the opening;   a first electrode coupled to hollow tubular structures of the openings; and   a second electrode coupled to solid core wire structures of the openings.   
     
     
         15 . The structure of  claim 14  wherein the hollow tubular structures are semiconducting. 
     
     
         16 . The structure of  claim 14  wherein the solid core wire structures are conductors. 
     
     
         17 . The structure of  claim 14  wherein an electrical path from the first electrode to the second electrode comprises a p-n junction. 
     
     
         18 . The structure of  claim 14  wherein the hollow tubular structure comprises a single tube of carbon. 
     
     
         19 . The structure of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a first conductor region and a second conductor region, wherein between the first and second conductor regions are at least two hollow tubular structures coupled to corresponding solid core wire structures, and the first and second conductor regions electrically insulated from the at least two hollow tubular structures by a nonconductive oxide layer.   
     
     
         20 . A semiconductor structure comprising:
 a template having a top surface and a bottom surface, the template comprising a plurality of openings extending into the template from the top surface toward the bottom surface;   a first carbon nanotube in a first portion of a first opening of the template;   a first nanowire in a second portion of the first opening of the template, wherein the first nanowire is coupled to the first carbon nanotube;   a second carbon nanotube in a first portion of a second opening of the template; and   a second nanowire in a second portion of the second opening of the template, wherein the second nanowire is coupled to the second carbon nanotube,   the first portion of the first opening and the first portion of the second opening extend a first distance into the template from the top surface, and   the second portion of the first opening and the second portion of the second opening extend starting from the first distance into the template from the top surface a second distance toward the bottom surface.