Polymer supported carbon nanotube arrays for field emission and sensor devices

The authors report a simple method for providing a polymer support structure for carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays for device applications. This method has a twofold effect: firstly it secures the nanotubes to the substrate and secondly it significantly decreases the threshold field for field emission from 26.2 to 9.7 V/mu m. This method ensures that the main body and tips of the CNTs are polymer-free and therefore can also be applied to CNT sensor array device fabrication. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.