  A fresh look on carbon-based transistor channel materials like single-walled
carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene nanoribbons (GNR) in future electronic
applications is given. Although theoretical predictions initially promised that
GNR (which do have a bandgap) would perform equally well as transistors based
on CNTs, experimental evidence for the well-behaved transistor action is
missing up to now. Possible reasons for the shortcomings as well as possible
solutions to overcome the performance gap will be addressed. In contrast to
GNR, short channel CNT field effect transistors (FET) demonstrate in the
experimental realization almost ideal transistor characteristics down to very
low bias voltages. Therefore, CNT-FETs are clear frontrunners in the search of
a future CMOS switch, that will enable further voltage and gate length scaling.
Essential features which distinguish CNT-FETs from alternative solution will be
discussed and benchmarked. Finally, the gap to industrial wafer-level scale
SWCNT integration will be addressed and strategies for achieving highly aligned
carbon nanotube fabrics will be discussed. Without such a high yield
wafer-scale integration, SWCNT circuits will be an illusionary dream.
