20.3: Super‐High Luminance Light‐Source Device with Carbon Nanotube Emitter

Abstract

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attracting considerable attention as field emitters. An excellent performance of carbon‐nanotubes as field‐emitters was demonstrated using a high‐voltage FED element at Society for Information Display (SID) in 1998 where a lighting element for outdoor large size display and a flat panel were presented with the screen printed nanotube cathode. After that, we reported experimental results of a light source tube which was able to be emitted luminous flux of more than 1000lm in prospect at International Display Workshops'00 (IDW'00).In this paper, we described a light‐source device which performed super‐high luminance with special multi‐walled nanotubes (MWNTs) called nanografiber (NGF) as field emitters. The electrodes passed through electrons was improved for more uniform landing to the phosphor screen. X‐ray shield and cooling for phosphor screen were investigated for a practical use and life‐time confirmation. The device was experimentally applied to one of projection displays with liquid crystal display (LCD) as light sources.NGF cathodes have been tested under dc driving condition with high current and high anode voltage(25–30kV) against high voltage ion bombardment. The degradation of phosphors has been tested to maintain super‐high luminance under high density electron irradiation and efficient cooling.