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Carbon Nanotubes as Potential Cold Cathodes for Vacuum Microelectronic Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Sanju Gupta
Sanju Gupta*
Affiliation:
sgup@rocketmail.com, University of Missouri-Columbia, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 6th St. 303 EBW, Columbia, MO, 65211-2300, United States, 57388200948, 5738820397
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Abstract

Materials science is playing a dramatic role in discovering new materials with tailored physical properties. Cold cathodes/field emitters are one of the examples. Electron field emitting materials are of vital importance for a variety of vacuum microelectronic devices including field emission displays for flat panel displays, electron microscopes, X-ray generators, and vacuum lamps. This is the driving force to investigate the advanced nanostructured carbons as cold cathodes as one of the potential candidates. Recently, they are also being proposed for thermionic power generators. The rationale is that reducing one or more dimensions of a system below some critical length changes the systems' physical properties, where carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the class of carbon nanostructures serve as a model example. In this paper, synthesis and characterization of vertically aligned multiwall and single-/double-wall carbon nanotube films using a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique for vacuum microelectronics is presented. Recent advances in their synthesis, processing, and characterization indicate that the above mentioned potential is slowly being realized. Experiments showed that by continuous reduction in the thickness of the catalyst film produces hollow concentric tubes in contrast to bamboo-like multiwalled tubes with larger thickness. To assess the electron field emission properties, besides the traditional field emission (I-V) properties, temperature dependent field electron emission microscopy (T-FEEM) enabling real-time imaging of electron emission providing information on emission site density, temporal variation of the emission intensity, and insight into the role of adsorbates from nanotube films will be discussed. Physics based models (such as negative or low electron affinity, geometric enhancement, surface dipole, tunneling due to adsorbates, structure modification due to doping etc.) will be described to support the experimental observations in addition to weak thermionic field emission contribution. These findings provided a great insight into the field emission mechanism and a contrasting comparison between small and large diameter carbon nanotubes.

Keywords

field emissionCnanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 963: Symposium Q – Nanowires and Carbon Nanotubes – Science and Applications , 2006 , 0963-Q14-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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