Large Field Enhancement Factor Research Articles

On the evaluation of field emission parameters of V2O5 and TiO2 nanostructure cathodes

The self-assembled V2O5 and TiO2 nanowires are prepared hydrothermally from vanadium (V) hydroxylamido complex and titanium oxide powder, respectively, and studied for their crystalline phase, morphology, and electron emission characteristics. V2O5 is shown to exhibit an orthorhombic phase with preferential growth of the (010) face along the [010] direction; wire size being diameter 100–400 nm, and length several micrometers. TiO2 nanowires depict a monoclinic β-phase with a typical diameter of ∼ 30 nm. Their bundles serve as potential cathodes giving electron emission following the Fowler–Nordheim (F-N) mechanism but from infinitely small areas with large field enhancement factors. In comparison, β-TiO2 provides better emission characteristics at similar operating parameters (e.g., low threshold voltage 250–400 V and current density 109−1013 A m−2). The unique properties (viz., tip geometry, roughness, and local field enhancement) of one-dimension (1D) nanowires make them prospective candidates for high-brightness electron sources and development of the display devices [1–7]. A simple procedure developed by the authors is applied successfully in actual evaluation of the field emission parameters from the current–voltage data. This involves F-N formulation with physical considerations like variation of work function, effective emission area, and field enhancement factor [31].

A tip-enhanced quantum emitter with integrated TiO2 slot waveguides in the optical regime

We study the coupling between a nanoscopic dielectric slot waveguide and a metallic-tip-enhanced dipole quantum emitter and search for optimal emission and guiding of photons along a titanium dioxide photonic waveguide. Finite element calculations are used to characterize the mode properties of the waveguide over a range of parameters and predict the efficiency of emission guidance along the waveguide. We show how the effective quantum yield is dependent on the waveguide parameters as well as the dipole position and orientation and show that the integrated system can reach a maximum quantum yield of more than 30% along each direction of the waveguide. By placing the dipole emitter near the apex of a silver nanotip situated above or inside the slot waveguide to increase the overall emission rate, we also enable the capability of controlling the emitter–waveguide​ coupling in situ. We numerically compute the excitation and radiation fields and find that despite a reduction in the quantum yield, a 35-fold increase in the overall emission rate can be obtained due to very large field enhancement factors of up to 4000 at the location of the dipole. By using alternative materials for the tip, this tip-enhanced-waveguide approach has the potential of further increasing the guided photon emission rate. With the possibility of controlling emitter–waveguide coupling in situ, this tip-enhanced emitter configuration provides an alternative approach for the realization of an efficient single-photon source.

Study on explosive emission characteristics of the silicon carbide modified graphite cathodes with varied morphologies

Explosive emission cathodes are extensively used in high power microwave sources. Growing requirements are highlighted in the performance of the explosive emission cathode with the development of the high power microwave technology. In order to improve the emission properties of the graphite cathode, modifications using SiC particles or whiskers are carried out by the in situ chemical vapor reaction method. The experiments demonstrate that SiC whiskers accelerate the explosive emission turn-on speed of the graphite cathode for large field enhancement factors and improve the emission uniformity due to the surface flashover plasma generation mechanism. SiC particles increase the emission capability of the graphite cathode, possibly corresponding to the dielectric properties of SiC particles. These results suggest that the SiC whiskers modified graphite cathode is suitable for applications under low magnetic field and large emission area conditions, while the SiC particles modified graphite cathode has a brighter application prospect in the long-time stable operation.

CNT/Cu composite cathode: A new approach to long lifetime for explosive emission cathode

Carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes have attracted much attention in recent years due to the advantages of large field enhancement factor and low emission threshold. However, the severe ablation under intense emission makes the lifetime short and therefore limits the application in the field such as high power microwave generation. To resolve this problem, this paper proposes to mix CNTs with metals, and a novel CNT/Cu composite cathode is manufactured. The lifetime experiments under voltage of 940 kV and repetition frequency of 20 Hz demonstrate that the lifetime of the CNT/Cu composite cathode is over 3 × 105 pulses, which is much longer than that of the normal copper cathode by at least one order of magnitude. The microscopic morphology analysis reveals that the CNT micro-protrusions and whiskers should be vital for the good emission property of the new cathode.

Stable Field Electron Emission and Plasma Illumination from Boron and Nitrogen Co‐Doped Edge‐Rich Diamond‐Enhanced Carbon Nanowalls

AbstractSuperior field electron emission (FEE) characteristics are achieved in edge‐rich diamond‐enhanced carbon nanowalls (D‐ECNWs) grown in a single‐step chemical vapor deposition process co‐doped with boron and nitrogen. The structure consists of sharp, highly conductive graphene edges supplied by a solid, diamond‐rich bottom. The Raman and transmission electron microscopy studies reveal a hybrid nature of sp3‐diamond and sp2‐graphene in these nanowalls. The ab‐initio calculations were carried out to support the experimental observations of diamond‐graphene hybrid structure. Finally, this hybrid D‐ECNWs is employed as a cathode in an FEE device resulting in a low turn‐on field of 3.1 V µm−1, a large field enhancement factor, a high FEE Je of 2.6 mA cm−2, and long lifetime stability of 438 min. Such an enhancement in the FEE originates from the unique materials combination, resulting in good electron transport from the graphene phases and efficient FEE of electrons from the sharp edges on the nanowalls. The prospective application of these materials is displayed by employing these hybrids as cathodes in a microplasma device ensuing a low threshold voltage of 160 V and high plasma stability of 140 min, which confirms the role of these hybrid structured nanowalls in the enhancement of electron emission.

Huge field enhancement and high transmittance enabled by terahertz bow-tie aperture arrays: a simulation study.

Sub-wavelength aperture arrays featuring small gaps have an extraordinary significance in enhancing the interactions of terahertz (THz) waves with matters. But it is difficult to obtain large light-substance interaction enhancement and high optical response signal detection capabilities at the same time. Here, we propose a simple terahertz bow-tie aperture arrays structure with a large electric field enhancement factor and high transmittance at the same time. The field enhancement factor can reach a high value of 1.9×104 and the transmission coefficient of around 0.8 (the corresponding normalized-to-area transmittance is about 14.3) at 0.04 µm feature gap simultaneously. The systematic simulation results show that the designed structure can enhance the intensity of electromagnetic hotspot by continuously reducing the feature gap size without affecting the intensity of the transmittance. We also visually displayed the significant advantages of extremely strong electromagnetic hot spots in local terahertz refractive index detection, which provides a potential platform and simple strategy for enhanced THz spectral detection.

The high performance of field electron emission from sandwich-like carbon nanotubes/carbon nanoparticles film/vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on silicon substrate

We prepare the sandwich-like carbon nanotubes/carbon nanoparticles film/vertically aligned carbon nanotubes on silicon substrate (CNTs/CNPs/VACNTs/silicon) by pyrolysis of FePC at 880 °C. The field emission properties of the CNTs/CNPs/VACNTs/silicon are investigated. The lower turn-on electric field of 0.78 V/μmat a current density of 20μA/cm2, lower threshold electric field of 1 V/μmat a current density of 1 mA/cm2and good emission current stability are observed. The unique structure not only provides large field enhancement factor but also strongly reduces the field-screening effect. The above results make CNTs/CNPs/VACNTs/silicon an effective field emitter.

Laser-Patternable Graphene Field Emitters for Plasma Displays.

This paper presents a plasma display device (PDD) based on laser-induced graphene nanoribbons (LIGNs), which were directly fabricated on polyimide sheets. Superior field electron emission (FEE) characteristics, viz. a low turn-on field of 0.44 V/μm and a large field enhancement factor of 4578, were achieved for the LIGNs. Utilizing LIGNs as a cathode in a PDD showed excellent plasma illumination characteristics with a prolonged plasma lifetime stability. Moreover, the LIGN cathodes were directly laser-patternable. Such superior plasma illumination performance of LIGN-based PDDs has the potential to make a significant impact on display technology.

Wafer-scale on-chip synthesis and field emission properties of vertically aligned boron nitride based nanofiber arrays

One dimensional boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials with a high aspect ratio are of great interest due to their unique properties and potential applications. However, BN nanomaterials are generally difficult to synthesize. Here, we describe the creation of arrays of vertically aligned pure BN nanofibers and BN coated carbon nanofibers, fabricated on-chip via a straightforward template-assisted chemical conversion reaction. The template, a glassy carbon nanofiber array, is produced by plasma processing of conventional photoresists. The method is highly controllable, patternable, and scalable, and the final arrays can be fabricated over large areas with a controlled fiber length. We characterize the electron field emission properties of the BN-coated carbon nanofiber array and find a large field enhancement factor, low turn-on voltage, and good stability. The outstanding field emission performance results from the small tip size and high aspect ratio of the nanofiber as well as the high chemical stability and high thermal conductivity of the BN coating.

Direct patterned growth of intrinsic/doped vertical graphene nanosheets on stainless steel via heating solid precursor films for field emission application

Vertical graphene nanosheets (VGNs), normally consisting of one to several graphene layers vertically aligned on substrates, are promising in a variety of applications including field electron emitters, gas sensors and energy storage devices. Herein, we report a simple, green, easily scalable and cost-effective strategy of growing both intrinsic and nitrogen (N)-doped VGNs on stainless steel (SS) just by heating the solid thin layers of glucose and/or urea in a resistance-heating furnace. It is interesting that VGNs mainly grow on the roughened regions, which can be attributed to the more nucleation and catalyzing sites on such regions than smooth SS. Meanwhile, the N doping concentration can be adjusted by varying the urea addition. Field electron emission measurement indicates that the obtained N-doped VGNs exhibit excellent field emission with a relatively low turn-on electric field strength (~2.6 V μm−1 at the current density of 10 μA cm−2), large field enhancement factor (~9428) and high stability.

Enhanced field emission from copper nanowires synthesized using ion track-etch membranes as scaffolds

Copper nanowires have been synthesized at different pH values through the template assisted electrodeposition technique using polycarbonate track-etch membranes as scaffolds. The effect of pH (0.8–2.8) of the electrolyte on structure, morphology, composition and deposition rate of copper into the pores of the template, while keeping other electrochemical conditions same, was investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the face centered cubic phase of synthesized nanowires. With the change in pH, no shift in peaks was observed except the inclusion of an additional peak of copper oxide in nanowires synthesized at pH 2.8. The nanocrystallite size, strain, lattice stress and energy density were evaluated by X-ray analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images revealed that nanowires obtained at pH 0.8, 1.1 and 1.4 showed incomplete deposition in the pores of the membrane whereas, the nanowires obtained at pH 1.7 were densely stacked, vertically aligned and uniform along the diameter and that obtained from pH 2.0–2.8 had overdeposition on their top. An increase in deposition rate was observed with the increase in pH value. The average diameter of Cu nanowires was found to be ~ 105 nm. The electrical conductivity of as-grown nanowires was observed to decrease 13-fold as the transition from bulk values to the nanosystem. Nanowires prepared at pH of 1.7 were characterized for their field-emission properties. A very large field-enhancement factor of ~ 10,855 was obtained indicating that Cu nanowires grown by reported technique shows outstanding potential as efficient field-emitters for flat panel displays.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Lithium-Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond Films with Enhanced Field Electron Emission Properties.

Low temperature (350 °C) grown conductive nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were realized by lithium diffusion from Cr-coated lithium niobate substrates (Cr/LNO). The NCD/Cr/LNO films showed a low resistivity of 0.01 Ω·cm and excellent field electron emission characteristics, viz. a low turn-on field of 2.3 V/µm, a high-current density of 11.0 mA/cm2 (at 4.9 V/m), a large field enhancement factor of 1670, and a life-time stability of 445 min (at 3.0 mA/cm2). The low temperature deposition process combined with the excellent electrical characteristics offers a new prospective for applications based on temperature sensitive materials.

Fabrication of carbon nanotube on nickel–chromium alloy wire for high-current field emission

The application of field emission (FE) devices requires emitters having a low threshold field (Eth, applied field at 10 mA/cm2) and an excellent FE stability at a high emission current density. Herein, we report on the fabrication and field emission characteristics of a carbon nanotube (CNT) emitter formed as a CNT film grown directly on nickel–chromium (Ni80Cr20) alloy wire using microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The FE performance of the emitter has a low threshold field of 0.76 V/µm, a large field enhancement factor (8311.3 ± 53.1) and an extremely large emission current density (Jmax) of 7.65 A/cm2 at a relatively low electric field of 2.13 V/µm. The great increase in Jmax is ascribed to the reinforced adhesion of CNTs to the Ni80Cr20 alloy wire substrates. The direct synthesis of CNTs on the nickel–chromium wire substrate without any catalyst layers and the wrapping of the CNT roots with a carbon nanoflake layer deposited on the surface of the wire substrate are responsible for the enhanced adhesion. The tip-type CNT emitter presents an excellent field emission stability at high emission current densities (3.06 A/cm2), and could potentially be applied to field emission devices.

Excellent field emission properties of vertically oriented CuO nanowire films

Oriented CuO nanowire films were synthesized on a large scale using simple method of direct heating copper grids in air. The field emission properties of the sample can be enhanced by improving the aspect ratio of the nanowires just through a facile method of controlling the synthesis conditions. Although the density of the nanowires is large enough, the screen effect is not an important factor in this field emission process because few nanowires sticking out above the rest. Benefiting from the unique geometrical and structural features, the CuO nanowire samples show excellent field emission (FE) properties. The FE measurements of CuO nanowire films illustrate that the sample synthesized at 500 °C for 8 h has a comparatively low turn-on field of 0.68 V/μm, a low threshold field of 1.1 V/μm, and a large field enhancement factor β of 16782 (a record high value for CuO nanostructures, to the best of our knowledge), indicating that the samples are promising candidates for field emission applications.

Enhancement transmittance of a metamaterial filter based on local surface plasma resonance

Abstract

Local probing of the enhanced field electron emission of vertically aligned nitrogen-doped diamond nanorods and their plasma illumination properties

A detailed conductive atomic force microscopic investigation is carried out to directly image the electron emission behavior for nitrogen-doped diamond nanorods (N-DNRs). Localized emission measurements illustrate uniform distribution of high-density electron emission sites from N-DNRs. Emission sites coupled to nanographitic phases at the grain boundaries facilitate electron transport and thereby enhance field electron emission from N-DNRs, resulting in a device operation at low turn-on fields of 6.23 V/μm, a high current density of 1.94 mA/cm2 (at an applied field of 11.8 V/μm) and a large field enhancement factor of 3320 with a long life-time stability of 980 min. Moreover, using N-DNRs as cathodes, a microplasma device that can ignite a plasma at a low threshold field of 390 V/mm achieving a high plasma illumination current density of 3.95 mA/cm2 at an applied voltage of 550 V and a plasma life-time stability for a duration of 433 min was demonstrated.

Field emission property of vertically aligned nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes produced by chemical vapor deposition

Vertically aligned nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWNTs) were synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 900 °C using imidazole mixed with ferrocene as carbon and nitrogen sources, and catalyst, respectively. The effects of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2) flow rates on the growth of N-MWNTs were investigated (hereafter referred to A-N-MWNTs and H-N-MWNTs, respectively). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the bamboo-like structure of the N-MWNTs, in which the separation between individual bamboo compartments decreased with increasing nitrogen concentration in N-MWNTs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis results supported that the nitrogen concentrations in N-MWNTs is 0.55 at.%, whereas A-N-MWNTs and H-N-MWNTs with the flow rate at 10 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) (10A-N-MWNTs and 10H-N-MWNTs, respectively) showed 1.14 and 4.06 at.%, respectively. We found that the optimal conditions for the highest nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was a flow rate of NH3 and H2 at 10 sccm. Results from field emission measurements indicated that the turn-on fields of N-MWNTs, 10A-N-MWNTs and 10H-N-MWNTs were 6.7, 4.3 and 3.1 V/µm, respectively, while the field enhancement factors (β) were 5230, 10,805 and 20,390, respectively. Furthermore, the current density of N-MNWTs increased with increasing the nitrogen atoms in MWNTs. The results support that field emission based on N-MWNTs is a good emitter with low turn-on field and large field enhancement factor. Nitrogen doping in MWNTs makes them attractive candidates as high-performance field emitters.

High-current field emission from “flower-like” few-layer graphene grown on tip of nichrome (8020) wire

ABSTRACTWe report a novel tip-type field emission (FE) emitter by synthesizing the few-layer graphene (FLG) flakes on tip of nichrome (8020) wire (ϕ≈80 μm) by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD). These resultant random arrays of free-standing FLG flakes are aligned vertically to the substrate surface in a high-density and stacked to each other to form several larger “flower-like” agglomerates in spherical shapes. The FE performance of the tip-type FLG flakes emitter shows a low threshold field of 0.55 V/μm, a large field enhancement factor of 9455 ± 46, a large field emission current density of 22.18 A/cm2 at 2.70 V/μm, and an excellent field emission stability at high emission current densities (6.93 A/cm2). It can be used in variety of applications that include cathode-ray tube monitors, X-ray sources, electron microscopes, and other vacuum electronic applications.

Self-organized multi-layered graphene-boron-doped diamond hybrid nanowalls for high-performance electron emission devices.

Carbon nanomaterials such as nanotubes, nanoflakes/nanowalls, and graphene have been used as electron sources due to their superior field electron emission (FEE) characteristics. However, these materials show poor stability and short lifetimes, which prevent their use in practical device applications. The aim of this study was to find an innovative nanomaterial possessing both high robustness and reliable FEE behavior. Herein, a hybrid structure of self-organized multi-layered graphene (MLG)-boron doped diamond (BDD) nanowall materials with superior FEE characteristics was successfully synthesized using a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the as-prepared carbon clusters have a uniform, dense, and sharp nanowall morphology with sp3 diamond cores encased by an sp2 MLG shell. Detailed nanoscale investigations conducted using peak force-controlled tunneling atomic force microscopy show that each of the core-shell structured carbon cluster fields emits electrons equally well. The MLG-BDD nanowall materials show a low turn-on field of 2.4 V μm-1, a high emission current density of 4.2 mA cm-2 at an applied field of 4.0 V μm-1, a large field enhancement factor of 4500, and prominently high lifetime stability (lasting for 700 min), which demonstrate the superiority of these materials over other hybrid nanostructured materials. The potential of these MLG-BDD hybrid nanowall materials in practical device applications was further illustrated by the plasma illumination behavior of a microplasma device with these materials as the cathode, where a low threshold voltage of 330 V (low threshold field of 330 V mm-1) and long plasma stability of 358 min were demonstrated. The fabrication of these hybrid nanowalls is straight forward and thereby opens up a pathway for the advancement of next-generation cathode materials for high brightness electron emission and microplasma-based display devices.

Synthesis and field electron emission properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube films directly grown on catalytic stainless steel substrate

The multi-walled CNT films were directly grown on stainless steel substrates using an oxidation-reduction treatment with chemical vapor deposition. Microstructure and field emission properties of the as-received CNT films were detailedly investigated. The results indicate that the CNTs have originally random orientation with relative high density, good crystalline perfection and large diameter. Besides, the CNT films exhibit superior field electron emission performances with low threshold electric field (∼4.2 V/μm) and very high emission current density (∼24 mA/cm2). Importantly, the CNTs directly grown on stainless steel substrates have remarkable long-term stability with ∼3.4% fluctuation over 50 h continuous measurement under high current density, ∼10 mA/cm2. The perfect graphitization, large field enhancement factor, low contact resistance, good adhesion and high thermal conductivity are believed to be principally responsible for their superior field emission properties, which make them very promising application as an electron source in microthrust space electric propulsion neutralizer.