Journal
ACTA MATERIALIA
Volume 59, Issue 14, Pages 5411-5421Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2011.05.014
Keywords
Carbon; Nanocrystalline materials; Interfaces; Electrical properties
Funding
- NSF [NSF CMMI-0900583]
- FIU Graduate School
- Directorate For Engineering
- Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn [0856674] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have raised hopes that these materials might find wide application as cold cathodes in various electron sources. The excellent field emission properties shown by CNT-based field emitters has further stimulated this expectation. However, efficient performance of a practical field emitter, which comprises a large number of randomly or regularly oriented CNTs, is restricted primarily due to poor junctions formed between CNTs and substrates. This study is aimed at enhancing the junction performance by way of a modified rooting technique interface control. In this process, the interface between CNTs and substrate has been tailored with different metals in an attempt to improve the CNT substrate junction performance. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized on different interface-controlled substrates, i.e. Cu, Al, W, Si and low-temperature co-fired ceramic. All the samples produced mat-type, randomly oriented MWCNT structures. Among the four different substrates studied, MWCNT-based field emitters on Cu substrate demonstrated the best field emission response, in terms of low turn-on field, high emission current, good field enhancement factor and excellent stability in long-term operation. Emitter structures and their field emission behavior were correlated and it was shown that interface control, as an advanced rooting process, plays an important role in determining the emission response from a bulk field emitter. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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