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Electron Emission from Pentagons on a Carbon Nanotube Tip Revealed by Field Emission Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Koichi Hata ,
Akihiro Takakura  and
Yahachi Saito
Koichi Hata
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mie University, Kamihama-cho, Tsu-city 514-8507, Japan
Akihiro Takakura
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mie University, Kamihama-cho, Tsu-city 514-8507, Japan
Yahachi Saito
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mie University, Kamihama-cho, Tsu-city 514-8507, Japan
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Abstract

Field emission of electrons from multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been investigated by field emission microscopy (FEM) in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. An MWCNT whose tip is capped by curved graphite layers gives a FEM pattern consisting of 6 bright pentagons when the surface of the nanotube tip is clean. Even in the ultra-high vacuum with a base pressure of about 10-10 Torr, residual gas molecules, attracted by polarization forces, adsorb on the nanotube tips. The adsorbed molecules reside preferentially on the pentagonal sites, giving bright spots in the FEM pattern. A flash heating the emitter at about 1300 K allows the molecules to desorb, and the nanotube emitter recovers the original clean surfaces. The adsorption and desorption of gas molecules are responsible for stepwise increases and decreases in the emission current, respectively.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 633: Symposium A – Nanotubes and Related Materials , 2000 , A18.4
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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