• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.383-383
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• 2011

Generally, field emitters can be categorized into two types according to the emitter shape, one is a planar field emitter and the other is a point emitter. The planar field emitter is used for displays, flat lamps and signage boards. On the other hands, the point field emitter is expected to play a significant role in x-ray sources and electron beam sources. Such applications of the point field emitters, especially, need large emission current and high emission stability with a small electron beam size. A few reports announced point emitters made by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, they still have suffered from poor reproducibility and low emission current. Here, we demonstrated high performance CNT point emitters by attaching CNTs onto graphite rod. Graphite rod exhibited good electrical conductivity and chemical stability. In this method, the shape of the point emitter could be easily controlled by changing the length and diameter of the graphite rod. The CNT point emitter showed emission current over 1 mA at an applied electric field of 1.4 V/${\mu}m$. We consider that the stable emission performance is attributed to the stable contact between CNTs and graphite rod.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.743-748
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• 2010

Boron nitride (BN) and carbon nitride (CN) films, which have relatively low work functions and commonly exhibit negative electron affinity behaviors, were coated on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by magnetron sputtering. The CNTs were directly grown on metal-tip (tungsten, approximately 500nm in diameter at the summit part) substrates by inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD). The variations in the morphology and microstructure of CNTs due to coating of the BN and CN films were analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify the existence of the coated layers (CN and BN) on CNTs. The electron-emission properties of the BN-coated and CN-coated CNT-emitters were characterized using a high-vacuum field emission measurement system, in terms of their maximum emission currents ($I_{max}$) at 1kV and turn-on voltage ($V_{on}$) for approaching $1{\mu}A$. The results showed that the $I_{max}$ current was significantly increased and the $V_{on}$ voltage were remarkably reduced by the coating of CN or BN films. The measured values of $I_{max}-V_{on}$ were as follows; $176{\mu}A$-500V for the 5nm CN-coated emitter and $289{\mu}A$-540V for the 2nm BN-coated emitter, respectively, while the $I_{max}-V_{on}$ of the as-grown (i.e., uncoated) emitter was $134{\mu}A$-620V. In addition, the CNT emitters coated with thin CN or BN films also showed much better long-term (up to 25h) stability behaviors in electron emission, as compared with the conventional CNT emitter.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2002

In this study, the vertical aligned carbon nanotubes was synthesized by DC bias-assisted Inductively Coupled Plasma Hot-Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (ICPHFCVD). The substrate used CNTs growth was Ni(300 ${\AA}$)/Cr(200 ${\AA}$)-deposited one on glass by RF magnetron sputtering. R-F, DC bias and filament power during the growth process were 150 W, 80 W, 7∼8 A, respectively. The grown CNTs showed hollow structure and multi-wall CNTs. The top of grown CNT was found to Ni-tip that the CNT end showed to metaltip. The graphitization and field emission properties of grown was better than grown CNTs by ICPCVD. The turn-on voltage of CNT grown by DC bias-assisted ICPHFCVD showed about 3 V/${\mu}m$.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1171-1176
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• 2012

The selective patterning of a carbon nanotube (CNT) forest on a Si substrate has been performed using a femtosecond laser. The high shock wave generated by the femtosecond laser effectively removed the CNTs without damage to the Si substrate. This process has many advantages because it is performed without chemicals and can be easily applied to large-area patterning. The CNTs grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) have a catalyst cap at the end of the nanotube owing to the tip-growth mode mechanism. For the application of an electron emission and biosensor probe, the catalyst cap is usually removed chemically, which damages the surface of the CNT wall. Precise control of the femtosecond laser power and focal position could solve this problem. Furthermore, selective CNT cutting using a femtosecond laser is also possible without any phase change in the CNTs, which is usually observed in the focused ion beam irradiation of CNTs.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.11-15
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• 2013

The wafer bonding process becomes a flexible approach to material and device integration. The bonding strength in 3-dimensional process is crucial factor in various interface bonding process such as silicon to silicon, silicon to metals such as oxides to adhesive intermediates. A measurement method of bonding strength was proposed by utilizing AFM applied CNT probe tip which indicated the relative simplicity in preparation of sample and to have merit capable to measure regardless type of films. Also, New Tool was utilized to measure of tip radius. The cleaned $SiO_2$-Si bonding strength of SPFM indicated 0.089 $J/m^2$, and the cleaning result by RCA 1($NH_4OH:H_2O:H_2O_2$) measured 0.044 $J/m^2$, indicated negligible tolerance which verified the possibility capable to measure accurate bonding strength. And it could be confirmed the effective bonding is possible through SPFM cleaning.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2007

The field emission properties of CNT-emitters coated with Ag-Cu alloy have been investigated. The vertical aligned multi-walled CNTs were synthesized by dc-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (dc-PECVD) and the Ag-Cu alloy was coated by using dc-magnetron sputter. The morphology of alloy-coated and un-coated CNT-emitters was observed by using SEM and their field emission properties were also measured. Annealing the AgCu-coated CNTs at temperature more than ${\sim}700^{\circ}C$, the Ag-Cu alloy was diffused to and aggregated on the top of the CNT as a Q-tip. A significant progress on the field emission was not observed with coating Ag-Cu alloy on the CNTs, but a certain improvement in a resistance against oxygen gas was made confirmation. It seems to be due to inertness of Ag-Cu alloy on the CNTs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.143-143
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• 2004

탄소나노튜브는 고종횡비, 10nm이하의 매우 작은 직경, 높은 전기전도도 및 열전도도, 금속 및 반도체 특성 둥의 우수한 특성 때문에 많이 사용되고 있다. 최근에는 전기적 소자나 화학적, 기계적 센서 그리고 측정용 프로브로 사용될 목적으로 탄소 나노 튜브를 전극들 사이나 끝 단이 날카로운 탐침의 끝에 위치시키는 연구가 진행되고 있다. 탄소나노튜브를 끝 단이 날카로운 탐침의 끝에 위치시켜 CNT tip을 만드는 경우, 지금까지는 수동 조작(manipulation)에 의한 방법과, 화학기상증착법(Chemical Vapor Depsosition: CVD)에 의한 성장방법이 많이 사용되고 있다.(중략)

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.65-69
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• 2009

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated with undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) or 5 wt% gallium-incorporated ZnO (GZO) using various deposition conditions. The CNTs were directly grown on conical-type tungsten substrates at $700^{\circ}C$ using inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition. The pulsed laser deposition technique was used to deposit the ZnO and GZO thin films with very low stress. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the variations in the morphology and microstructure of CNTs prior to and after ZnO or GZO coating. The formation of ZnO and GZO films on CNTs was confirmed using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. In comparison to the as-grown (uncoated) CNT emitter, the CNT emitter that was coated with a thin (10 nm) GZO film showed remarkably improved field emission characteristics, such as the emission current of $325\;{\mu}A$ at 1 kV and the threshold field of $1.96\;V/{\mu}m$ at $0.1\;{\mu}A$, and it also exhibited the highly stable operation of emission current up to 40 h.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1270_1271
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• 2009

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/${\mu}m$.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1244_1245
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• 2009

Coating of amorphous nitride thin layers, such as boron nitride (BN) and carbon nitride (CN), has been performed on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the purpose of enhancing their electron-emission performances because those nitride films have relatively low work functions and commonly exhibit negative electron affinity behavior. The CNTs were directly grown on metal-tip (tungsten, approximately 500 nm in diameter at the summit part) substrates by inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD). Sharpening of the tungsten tips were carried out by electrochemical etching. Morphologies and microstructures of BN and CN films were analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The electron-emission properties (such as maximum emission currents and turn-on fields) of the BN-coated and CN-coated CNT-emitters were characterized in terms of the thickness of BN and CN layers.