Nanoscale Sensor-based Tunneling Carbon Nanotube Transistor for Toxic Gases Detection: A First-Principle Study

Carbon nanotube transistor is a spotlight components for toxic gas monitoring. In this regard, we present a new toxic gas molecules sensor base on a single-walled carbon nanotube transistor and use the Poisson and Schrodinger equations in a self-consistent manner and is modeled using non-equilibrium Green’s function. The reaction between gaseous molecules and single-walled carbon nanotubes can harness the charge and potential level inside the channel, which changes the electrical characteristics of the device. Investigations carried out over a 20-nm channel and at a temperature range between 200 and 400 K shows that the conductivity and current–voltage characteristic of the proposed Nano-sensor depend on temperature and gas conditions. According to the simulation results, the decrease in the temperature decreases the OFF-state current of the tunneling carbon nanotube field-effect transistor which leads to a decrease in the leakage current and the band-to-band tunneling. In addition, due to the temperature rise, the sensitivity is increased, and by increasing the dielectric constant of the gas, the on-state current of the device will also increase significantly. The maximum sensitivity for Carbonyl Chloride is 630 (nm/RIU).