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Enhanced field emission of self‐organized laser‐produced Si and Ni micro‐tip arrays with incorporated carbon nanotubes
Author(s) -
Karabutov A. V.,
Simakin A. V.,
Shafeev G. A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1724
Subject(s) - field electron emission , carbon nanotube , materials science , wafer , substrate (aquarium) , field emission display , evaporation , nanotechnology , laser , cathode , optoelectronics , carbon fibers , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , electron , composite material , chemistry , oceanography , physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics , geology , thermodynamics , composite number
Results are reported on low‐field electron emission from periodic arrays of micro‐tips produced by laser‐assisted evaporation of single‐crystal Si wafers in a vacuum and Ni wafers in liquid. To improve the emission from the micro‐tips, single‐wall carbon nanotubes were incorporated into surface layers of the tips during or after micro‐relief formation. The best samples showed emission at threshold fields as low as 0.3–1 V µm −1 for Si substrate and 1.5–2 V µm −1 for Ni substrate, as measured with the flat screen technique. The emission was stable upon cyclic variation of the electric field. Sufficient improvement of the emission surface uniformity (a number of emission sites per square unit) and lower threshold fields were achieved using carbon nanotube incorporation compared to ‘undoped’ Si and Ni micro‐tips. The experimental data explain the field emission from the tip arrays by a complex geometric field enhancement, including nanotubes and narrow conducting channels in the tip body. The arrays of micro‐tips are promising for a wide range of cold cathode applications. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.