A chemically enriched, repeatedly deformable, and self-recoverable broadband wireless imager sheet

Abstract Carbon nanotube (CNT) film-based photo-thermoelectric (PTE) imagers perform functional electromagnetic-wave monitoring, potentially facilitating multimodal non-destructive inspection device usage. The CNT film compositions govern the fundamental device performance, and satisfying high PTE c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kou Li, Norika Takahashi, Yoshiaki Togami, Ryo Koshimizu, Noa Izumi, Naoko Hagiwara, Asumi Sano, Qi Zhang, Junyu Jin, Minami Yamamoto, Yukio Kawano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Communications Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00872-6
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Summary:Abstract Carbon nanotube (CNT) film-based photo-thermoelectric (PTE) imagers perform functional electromagnetic-wave monitoring, potentially facilitating multimodal non-destructive inspection device usage. The CNT film compositions govern the fundamental device performance, and satisfying high PTE conversion efficiency (higher response and lower noise) is essential for sensitive operations. Although typical sensitive design focuses on minimizing noise, the associated leveling-off response intensity (up to a few millivolts) induces technical limitations in device operations. These issues include mismatching for coupling with compact wireless circuits, being indispensable for on-site inspection applications, and require high-intensity responses at least a few millivolt orders. This work develops chemically enriched PTE imagers comprising semiconducting-separated CNT (semi-CNT) films. While semi-CNTs provide greater intensity thermoelectric responses than semi-metal mixture compositions in the conventional PTE device, the presented imager employs p-/n-type chemical carrier doping to relax inherent significant bottlenecking noise. Such doping enhances material properties for PTE conversion with semi-CNTs up to 4060 times. The imager satisfies similar performances to conventional CNT film devices, including ultrabroadband sensitive photo-detection (with minimum noise sensitivity of 5 pWHz−1/2) under repeatedly deformable configurations, and advantageously exhibits response signal intensity exceeding a few–tens of millivolts. These features enable remote on-site non-destructive PTE imaging inspection with palm-sized wireless circuits.
ISSN:2662-4443