Conventional microfabrication techniques or printing approaches can be applied to SWNT films on plastic to form flexible devices and circuits.An important component of SWNT TFTs is the gate dielectrics. Ideally, the dielectrics should offer high capacitances for low-voltage and hysteresis-free operation,together with low leakage current densities for power efficiency.

Deposition methods that are compatible with flexible plastic substrates can also be critical, depending on the application.Certain classes of 3D cross-linked organic multilayers formed by room temperature self-assembly processes are attractive,because of the large capacitances,excellent insulating properties and smooth surface morphologies.

The high capacitance dielectrics also greatly reduce the subthreshold swing of SWNT TFTs, which enables opeartaion at voltage even lower than those that would be inferred from the differences in capacitance. Therefore,hysteresis for both p-channel and n-channel devices built on bilayer nanodielectrics or organic multilayers is much smaller than that of devices on more widely explored thick oxide or polymer dielectrics, possibly owing to a reduction in the electrical fields near the SWNTs as a result of lower operating voltage and fewer traps in dielectrics.