Optimization of Carbon Nanotube Field Emission Arrays

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been proven experimentally to be well suited for field emission applications. An optimized triode configured CNT field emission array is developed using the COMSOL Multiphysics Electrostatics Application to adjust five key physical dimensions to investigate the effects on the enhanced electric field at the CNT emitter tips. The five dimensions studied are CNT spacing, array pitch, array element dimensions element shape, and the dielectric thickness. These results are used to develop an optimized CNT field emission array that fits within the constraints of currently available fabrication capabilities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA592444

Entities

People

  • Benjamin L. Crossley
  • Lavern A. Starman
  • Mauricio Kossler
  • Peter J. Collins
  • Ronald A. Coutu Jr.

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Carbon Nanotubes
  • Current Density
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Emission
  • Electrostatic Fields
  • Electrostatics
  • Emission
  • Emitters
  • Fabrication
  • Field Emission
  • Fullerenes
  • Geometry
  • Materials
  • Thickness
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster