title: Field emission from a selected multiwall carbon nanotube.
abstract: The electron field emission characteristics of individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes were investigated by a piezoelectric nanomanipulation system operating inside a scanning electron microscopy chamber. The experimental set-up ensures a precise evaluation of the geometric parameters (multiwalled carbon nanotube length and diameter and anode-cathode separation) of the field emission system. For several multiwalled carbon nanotubes, reproducible and quite stable emission current behaviour was obtained, with a dependence on the applied voltage well described by a series resistance modified Fowler-Nordheim model. A turn-on field of ∼30 V µm(-1) and a field enhancement factor of around 100 at a cathode-anode distance of the order of 1 µm were evaluated. Finally, the effect of selective electron beam irradiation on the nanotube field emission capabilities was extensively investigated.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila and INFN and CNR-INFM Laboratorio Regionale CASTI, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito (AQ), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Passacantando
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bussolotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giubileo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iemmo
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cucolo