Abstract
Field emitters can be used as a cathode electrode in a cathodoluminescence device, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that are synthesized by arc discharge are expected to exhibit good field emission (FE) properties. However, a cathodoluminescence device that uses field emitters radiates rays whose intensity considerably fluctuates at a low frequency, and the radiant fluctuation is caused by FE current fluctuation. To solve this problem, is very important to obtain a stable output for field emitters in a cathodoluminescence device. The authors consider that the electron-emission fluctuation is caused by Fowler–Nordheim electron tunneling and that the electrons in the Fowler–Nordheim regime pass through an inelastic potential barrier. We attempted to develop a theoretical model to analyze the power spectrum of the FE current fluctuation using metallic SWCNTs as field emitters, owing to their electrical conductivity by determining their FE properties. Field emitters that use metallic SWCNTs with high crystallinity were successfully developed to achieve a fluctuating FE current from field emitters at a low frequency by employing inelastic electron tunneling. This paper is the first report of the successful development of an inelastic-electron-tunneling model with a Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation for metallic SWCNTs based on the evaluation of FE properties.
Highlights
Field emitters can be used as cathodoluminescence (CL) devices, which radiate rays with a wide range of frequencies from X-ray to far infrared rays
We considered that an field emission (FE) cathode comprising well-dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a high-vacuum atmosphere is indispensable for decreasing the current fluctuation of field emitters and for improving the homogeneity of planar emission from a planar lighting device [13]
Where A is corresponding to the total area of the FE site, which electrons emit from the SWCNTs the cathode and m is the effective mass of an electron that moves parallel to the emission site in the source electrode, from which tunneling electrons are injected into the barrier
Summary
Field emitters can be used as cathodoluminescence (CL) devices, which radiate rays with a wide range of frequencies from X-ray to far infrared rays They have a serious problem in that the field emission (FE) current depends on the degree of vacuum, owing to the adhesion of contaminants such as residual gas or water on the field emitter surface [1,2]. The emission current from field emitters, including CNTs, has been reported to fluctuate even in a high-vacuum atmosphere [3,4]. We considered that an FE cathode comprising well-dispersed SWCNTs in a high-vacuum atmosphere is indispensable for decreasing the current fluctuation of field emitters and for improving the homogeneity of planar emission from a planar lighting device [13]. We developed field emitters using these SWCNTs, and theoretically analyzed the fluctuation of their power spectrum in terms of their electrical conductivity by determining their electrical properties (FE properties)
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