Controlled growth, patterning and placement of carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films for electronic applications are demonstrated. The density of CNT films is controlled by optimizing the feed gas composition as well as the concentration of growth catalyst in a chemical vapor deposition process. Densities of CNTs ranging from 0.02 CNTs/mu m(2) to 1.29 CNTs/mu m(2) are obtained. The resulting pristine CNT thin films are then successfully patterned using either pre-growth or post-growth techniques. By developing a layered photoresist process that is compatible with ferric nitrate catalyst, significant improvements over popular pre-growth patterning methods are obtained. Limitations of traditional post-growth patterning methods are circumvented by selective transfer printing of CNTs with either thermoplastic or metallic stamps. Resulting as-grown patterns of CNT thin films have edge roughness (<1 mu m) and resolution (<5 mu m) comparable to standard photolithography. Bottom gate CNT thin film devices are fabricated with field-effect mobilities up to 20 cm(2)/V s and on/off ratios of the order of 10(3). The patterning and transfer printing methods discussed here have a potential to be generalized to include other nanomaterials in new device configurations. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.