Carbon Nanotube Electron Sources: From Electron Beams to Energy Conversion and Optophononics

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes have a host of properties that make them excellent candidates for electron emitters. A significant amount of research has been conducted on nanotube-based field-emitters over the past two decades, and they have been investigated for devices ranging from flat-panel displays to vacuum tubes and electron microscopes. Other electron emission mechanisms from carbon nanotubes, such as photoemission, secondary emission, and thermionic emission, have also been studied, although to a lesser degree than field-emission. This paper presents an overview of the topic, with emphasis on these less-explored mechanisms, although field-emission is also discussed. We will see that not only is electron emission from nanotubes promising for electronsource applications, but also its study could reveal unusual phenomena and open the door to new devices that are not directly related to electron beams.

Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry Using Carbon Nanotube Field Emission Electron Sources

“…Since first being reported as an electron field emitter in 1995 [5][6][7], carbon nanotubes have proven to be a viable candidate for electron sources in various applications [8,9]. CNTs have a high aspect ratio, small tip radius of curvature, good conductance, extremely large Young's modulus (high stiffness), and high tensile strength allowing the tip to withstand the extremely strong fields (several V/nm) needed for field emission [8].…”

Introductory Chapter: Carbon Nanotubes and Their Applications

“…One of the most promising CNT applications of the field emission is an electron source. Lots of electronic devices are based on electron sources which are the most crucial component served as state-of-art vacuum nano-electronics and emerging novel devices in nowadays, such as field emission displays, emerging sensor, energy storage equipment, scanning ultrafast electron microscopes, X-ray generators, free electron lasers, Terra Hartz sources and so on [18][19][20]. Recently, such electron sources have intrigued a strong interest and encouraged the further studies of pulsed electron emission, opening the door to high-tech novel devices.…”

Review on development of carbon nanotube field emission cathode for space propulsion systems

“…In particular, carbon nanotube (CNT) based FECs have become popular in last decades and have demonstrated numerous applications [6,7] in X-ray imaging tools [8,9], RF sources [10], compact mass spectrometry [11], flat-panel displays [12][13][14], electron-beam systems [15], vacuum tubes [6], lighting devices [16], amplifiers and electric propulsion devices [2]. Many efforts have been paid to summarise numerous potential applications of CNT-FECs and further details are presented in several previous reviews [6,7,17,18]. Particularly, Levchenko et al [2] presented a very detailed review on the progress of space electric propulsion systems on smart nanomaterial, they marked that nanotechnology is very useful for future advanced, adaptive spacecraft.…”