Carbon-nanotube electron emitters for display applications

Abstract

— The optoelectronic, mechanical, and thermal properties of carbon nanotubes have made them very attractive for a wide range of potential applications. However, many applications require the growth of aligned/micropatterned carbon nanotubes with or without a modified nanotube surface. We have developed several simple pyrolytic methods for large-scale production of aligned carbon-nanotube arrays perpendicular to the substrate surface. We have also used photolithographic and soft-lithographic techniques to pattern our aligned carbon nanotubes with submicron resolution. These aligned carbon-nanotube arrays can be transferred onto various substrates of particular interest (e.g., on conducting substrates as electron emitters for flat-panel displays) in either a patterned or non-patterned fashion. The well-aligned structure further allows us to prepare aligned coaxial nanowires of carbon nanotubes sheathed with polymers and to modify the surface of individual carbon nanotubes by plasma treatment. These aligned/micropatterned carbon nanotubes with and without surface modification possess desirable properties for electron emission applications.