Current-carrying capacity of semiconducting carbon nanotubes

A simple Boltzmann-equation model for charge transport in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) is developed with two adjustable parameters, the acoustic and optical phonon scattering lengths. The model predicts velocity saturation rather than current saturation in s-SWNTs at high bias, in agreement with a recent experiment. At moderate densities, the model predicts currents in s-SWNTs exceeding 25 μA, the limiting current in long metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes.