title: Enhancement of the stability of electron field emission behavior and the related microplasma devices of carbon nanotubes by coating diamond films.
abstract: The enhanced lifetime stability for the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by coating hybrid granular structured diamond (HiD) films on Au-decorated CNTs/Si using a two-step microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process was reported. Electron field emission (EFE) properties of HiD/Au/CNTs emitters show a low turn-on field (E0) of 3.50 V/μm and a high emission current density (Je) of 0.64 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of 5.0 V/μm. There is no notable current degradation or fluctuation over a period of τ(HiD/Au/CNTs) = 360 min for HiD/CNTs EFE emitters tested under a constant current of 4.5 μA. The robustness of the HiD/CNTs EFE emitter is overwhelmingly superior to that of bare CNTs EFE emitters (τ(CNTs) = 30 min), even though the HiD/Au/CNTs do not show the same good EFE properties as CNTs, which are E0 = 0.73 V/μm and Je = 1.10 mA/cm(2) at 1.05 V/μm. Furthermore, the plasma illumination (PI) property of a parallel-plate microplasma device fabricated using the HiD/Au/CNTs as a cathode shows a high Ar plasma current density of 1.76 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of 5600 V/cm with a lifetime of plasma stability of about 209 min, which is markedly better than the devices utilizing bare CNTs as a cathode. The CNT emitters coated with diamond films possessing marvelous EFE and PI properties with improved lifetime stability have great potential for the applications as cathodes in flat-panel displays and microplasma display devices.
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing-Hua University , Hsinchu 300, Taiwan R.O.C.
authors: Ting-Hsun
authors: TH
authors: Chang
authors: Srinivasu
authors: S
authors: Kunuku
authors: Ying-Jhan
authors: YJ
authors: Hong
authors: Keh-Chyang
authors: KC
authors: Leou
authors: Tri-Rung
authors: TR
authors: Yew
authors: Nyan-Hwa
authors: NH
authors: Tai
authors: I-Nan
authors: IN
authors: Lin