Use of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes for Fabrication of Efficient Electron Field Emitters

Abstract

This chapter presents the recent results in fabrication of efficient electron field emitters using fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. The concept of electron field emitters encompasses nanocrystalline-diamond-coated carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes were found to be efficient electron field emitters by themselves. Diamond coating provides passive protection as well as active enhancement of emission by lowering the electron exit work function. During the presented study both, single-walled (SWNT) and multi-walled (MWNT) carbon nanotubes were used to form emitting arrays of nanotubes. Fullerenes were used as a feedstock for formation of nanocrystalline-diamond coating over the carbon nanotube arrays. Simultaneously with nanotube substrates, an array of W wires was coated with nanocrystalline diamond for the sake of comparison as well as to establish the effects of diamond presence on improvement of electron field emission. In all cases, the presence of diamond significantly improved the characteristics of electron field emission.