Field-emission properties of carbon nanotubes coated by zinc oxide films

산화아연막이 증착된 탄소 나노튜브의 전계방출 특성

In this research, gallium-incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) thin films have been used as a coating material for enhancing the field-emission property of CNT-emitters. Multi-walled CNTs were directly grown on conical-type ($250{\mu}m$ in diameter) metal-tip substrates at $700^{\circ}C$ by inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD). The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was used to produce 5wt% gallium-doped ZnO (5GZO) films with very low stress. The structural properties of ZnO and 5GZO coated CNTs were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were also used to monitor the variation in the morphology and microstructure of CNTs before and after 5GZO-coating. The measurement of the field emission characteristics showed that the emitter that coated the 5GZO (10nm) on CNTs exhibited the best performance: a maximum emission current of $325{\mu}A$, a threshold field of 2.2 V/${\mu}m$.