Premium
Improvement of field emission properties from screen‐printed CNTs cathodes by heat treatment in a C 2 H 2 /H 2 gas mixture
Author(s) -
Guo P. S.,
Sun Z.,
Ni S.,
Chen Y. W.,
Cao Z. Y.
Publication year - 2006
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.2317
Subject(s) - field electron emission , cathode , carbon nanotube , current density , scanning electron microscope , materials science , field emission microscopy , electric field , analytical chemistry (journal) , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , electron , chemistry , composite material , optics , diffraction , chromatography , physics , quantum mechanics
Abstract We developed a posttreatment method for the screen‐printed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) cathode to improve its field emission characteristics. The treatment was carried out at 500 °C and 20 kPa for 20 min in the atmosphere of C 2 H 2 /H 2 (volume ratio 1:2). After the treatment, the field emission characteristics were greatly improved. The turn‐on field lowered from 5.0 to 1.6 V/µm, and the emission current density increased from 2 × 10 −4 to 1.0 mA/cm 2 at the electric field of 2.6 V/µm. In the mean time, the emission site density and uniformity were significantly increased. Scanning electron microscope images revealed that a new top layer of CNTs film has re‐grown on the surface of the printed CNTs cathode during the treatment. This new re‐grown CNTs layer contributes to the drastic enhancement of field emission from the printed cathode. This heat‐treatment technique is very promising for practical application of CNTs in field emission display. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.