Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T07:49:46.013Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Jun Jiao ,
Lifeng Dong ,
David W. Tuggle ,
Catherine L. Mosher ,
Sean Foxley  and
Jaswant Tawdekar
Jun Jiao
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
Lifeng Dong
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
David W. Tuggle
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
Catherine L. Mosher
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
Sean Foxley
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
Jaswant Tawdekar
Affiliation:
Department of Computer SciencePortland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

We report an effective procedure for fabricating carbon nanotube emitters by directly synthesizing carbon nanotubes on an electrochemically sharpened tungsten tip. The nanotubes adhere very well to the tip of tungsten without any painting materials. Thermal cleaning of the tungsten tip under applied electric field reduced the number of nanotubes formed on the tip resulting in a single nanotube emitter. Electron field emission properties were investigated by employing a field emission microscope with a base pressure ~ 1 × 10-9 Torr. The emission images with respect to the applied field and time were obtained. Different emission images consisting of one to four lobes at different applied fields were observed. The characteristic of the emission current vs. applied voltage was analyzed. Applied potentials up to 3000 V were tested. The estimated field on the emitter was on the order of several tens of volts per nanometer. Our investigation suggests that at lower fields, the I-V characteristic of the nanotube emitter follows Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) emission behavior. At higher applied field, current saturation was observed.

Type
Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 706: Symposium Z – Making Functional Materials with Nanotubes , 2001 , Z5.3.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Bonard, J.-M, Stockli, T., Maier, F., Heer, W.A. De, Chatelain, A., Ugarte, D., Salvetat, J.P., and Forro, L., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1441 (1998).Google Scholar
2. Dean, K.A. and Chalamala, B.R., J. Appl. Phys. 85, 3832 (1999).Google Scholar
3. Saito, Y. and Uemura, S., Carbon. 38, 169 (2000).Google Scholar
4. Kwo, J.L., Tsou, C.C., and Yokoyama, M., J.Vac. Sci. Technol. B, 19, 23 (2001).Google Scholar
5. Jeong, S.-H., Hwang, H.-Y, and Lee, K.-H., Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 2052 (2001).Google Scholar
6. Gulayev, Y.V., Chernozatonskii, L.A., Kosakovskaja, Z.J., Sinitsyn, N.I., Torgashov, G.V., and Zakharchenko, Yu.F., J.Vac.Sci. Technol. B13, 435 (1995).Google Scholar
7. Heer, W.A. de, Chatelain, A., and Ugarte, D., Science 270, 1179 (1995).Google Scholar
8. Collins, P.G. and Zettl, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1969 (1996).Google Scholar
9. Sohn, J.I., and Lee, S., Appl. Phys Lett. 78, 901 (2001).Google Scholar
10. Fransen, M., “Towards high-brightness monochromatic electron sources”, Ph.D. Thesis. The work described in this thesis was carried out at the Philips Research Laboratory in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and Delft University of Technology, (1998).Google Scholar
11. Fransen, M.J., Rooy, Th. L. van, Kruit, P., Applied Surface Science, 146, 312 (1999).Google Scholar
12. Cassell, A.M., Franklin, N.R., Tombler, T.W., Chan, E.M., Han, J., and Dai, H.J., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 121, 7975 (1999).Google Scholar
13. Bonard, J.-M., Maier, F., Stockli, T., Chatelain, A., Heer, W.A. de, Salvetat, J.-P., and Forro, L., Ultramicroscopy 73, 7 (1998).Google Scholar
14. Dean, K.A. and Chalamala, B.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 375 (2000).Google Scholar