Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
In present paper we describe development and manufacturing of the pressure sensor based on electron field emission from carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The sensor consisted of two parts, silicon membrane as an anode and multiwalled CNTs on a silicon cathode, creating a vacuum micro-chamber. Both electrodes were fabricated from the silicon single crystal (Si) wafer of the orientation (<100>) doped by phosphorus. The CNTs were grown by plasma enhanced CVD using iron catalyst in atmospheric pressure microwave torch. The catalyst was patterned into the area corresponding to the membrane dimensions. The thin CNTs with the diameter about 80 nm were straight standing perpendicularly to the substrate due to a crowding effect. In order to find the threshold current the emission characteristics of prepared sensors were measured.