Abstract
The field emission and luminescent properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that were straightened by argon ion irradiation were investigated. Argon ion irradiation permanently straightened both as-grown and screen-printed CNTs (SP-CNTs) in the presence of a strong electric field. The straightening process enhanced the emission properties of as-grown CNT films by showing a decrease in turn-on field, an increase in total emission current, and a stable emission. Recurring problems associated with SP-CNTs, such as bent or/and buried CNTs and the degradation in binder-residue-induced emission, were improved by the permanent straightening of CNTs and protruding CNTs from binders by the irradiation treatment, in addition to its surface cleaning effect. Furthermore, we confirmed that the number of emission sites increases by observing the luminescent properties of CNT films after the straightening. These findings here suggest that ion irradiation treatment is an effective method for achieving uniform field emission and to reduce the electrical aging time.
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