Current degradation mechanism of single wall carbon nanotube emitters during field emission

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 89; no. 25; pp. 253115 - 253115-3
• Main Authors: Lee, J. H., Lee, S. H., Kim, W. S., Lee, H. J., Heo, J. N., Jeong, T. W., Baik, C. W., Park, S. H., Yu, SeGi, Park, J. B., Jin, Y. W., Kim, J. M., Moon, J. W., Yoo, M. A., Nam, J. W., Cho, S. H., Ha, J. S., Yoon, T. I., Park, J. H., Choe, D. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics 18-12-2006
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.2416250

Electron emission current degradation is often observed from printed single wall carbon nanotube emitters during field emission process. After a highly imposed emission, structural deformation of emitters from thin crystalline nanotube bundle to thick amorphous-type carbon fiber was observed. This deformation seems to relate to the current degradation, deteriorating the efficiency of field emission either by increasing the resistance of emitters or by decreasing the field enhancement factor of emitter tips. Two possible mechanisms of structural deformation are internal structural transformation by Joule heating under excessively imposed emission current and continuous adsorption of carbon particles on actively working emitters.