Field Emission From Carbon Nanotubes Grown On Line-patterned Cathode Electrodes

We investigated field emission (FE) characteristics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown on all over patterned cathode electrode lines (CL pattern) and grown on along the central areas of the cathode lines(CL pattern). The CNTs grown on the SL pattern showed a lower threshold voltage and higher emission current than those on the CL pattern, due to the concentration of electric fields at the edges of the cathode lines. For the SL-patterned CNTs, however, the FE gradually spread out to the neighbors with time, and was instantly extinguished in some area and then slowly resumed again. Such areal- spread FE did not occur for the CL-patterned sample, leading to the stable FE together with the instant turn-on capability. It is suggested that the spread FE and instability for the SL-patterned CNTs may be related to the electrical charging on the insulator surface around the cathode line edges.