Ultralow biased field emitter using single-wall carbon nanotube directly grown onto silicon tip by thermal chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

A carbon-nanotube field emitter which has single-wall carbon nanotubes with a diameter of 1–2 nm grown directly onto the Si tips by thermal chemical vapor deposition was developed. Owing to the 10–20 times smaller diameter of the nanotube than the conventional silicon (Si) tip, the fabricated carbon-nanotube field emitter showed an ultralow threshold voltage of 10 V for the field emission of electrons, which is more than ten times smaller value than the conventional Si emitter.