An easily accessible carbon material derived from carbonization of polyacrylonitrile ultrathin films: ambipolar transport properties and application in a CMOS-like inverter

Abstract

Ultrathin carbon films were prepared by carbonization of a solution processed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) film in a moderate temperature range (500–700 °C). The films displayed balanced hole (0.50 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) and electron mobilities (0.20 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) under ambient conditions. Spectral characterization revealed that the electrical transport is due to the formation of sp² hybridized carbon during the carbonization process. A CMOS-like inverter demonstrated the potential application of this material in the area of carbon electronics, considering its processability and low-cost.