Integrally Gated Carbon Nanotube-on-Post Field Emitter Arrays
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (cNT) are excellent field emitters on account of their chemical, structural, and electronic properties, which afford important aspects of robustness that have been lacking in the conventional metal and silicon field emitter arrays (FEA). They possess high current-carrying capacity and mechanical strength. Their small diameters (2-50 nm) and high aspect ratios produce high geometric field enhancement, which remains nearly constant even when material is removed from the end of the tubes such as by back ion bombardment. A key contributing factor to their stability as field emitters is the lack of surface oxide formation. Surface oxide formation on metal or silicon emitters impedes electron transport to the surface and causes changes in the emission characteristics during operation. Furthermore, the oxides could be the main cause for FEA catastrophic destruction by trapping charge which could lead to arcing.1 It has also been suggested that carbon nanotubes do not form nanoprotrusions as metal and silicon cathodes do, thus making current runaway and arcing less likely to occur.2
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA447759
Entities
People
- David S. Y. Hsu
- J. L. Shaw
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory