Field emission properties of aligned CNX nanotube arrays synthesized by pyrolysis of a ferrocene/acetonitrile aerosol at different temperatures

Nitrogen-containing carbon (CNx) nanotubes have been grown vertically on silicon substrates by decomposition of a ferrocene/acetonitrile aerosol at temperatures 750, 800, 850, and 900 8 degrees C. A CNx nanotube array, produced at 850 degrees C, had the greatest height similar to 220 mu m and the smallest nitrogen content similar to 3.8 at%. The content of graphitic nitrogen form, referred to a nitrogen atom with three carbon neighbors in a hexagonal lattice, increased gradually with the synthesis temperature. Field electron emission measurements showed that the CNx nanotube arrays have better characteristics than aligned non-doped carbon nanotubes. To reveal effect of nitrogen on the filed threshold, we calculated current-voltage dependencies for CNx nanotube models containing different amount of graphitic and pyridinic nitrogen species. Influence of the synthesis temperature on the height and total nitrogen content in CNx nanotube array and relation of these parameters with the threshold of field emission appearance. [GRAPHICS] (C) 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim