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Current saturation mechanisms in carbon nanotube field emitters

Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 375 (2000); doi:10.1063/1.125758

Issue Date: 17 January 2000

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Kenneth A. Dean and Babu R. Chalamala
Motorola, Inc., Flat Panel Display Division, 7700 South River Parkway, Tempe, Arizona 85284
Recent studies have shown a current limiting effect in the field emission behavior of carbon nanotubes. In this letter, we demonstrate that an individual nanotube exhibits current saturation above 100 nA of emission current, and we show that this current saturation is a direct result of an adsorbate-enhanced field emission mechanism. Current saturation results from the displacement of adsorbates from configurations of tunneling enhancement as electric field and current are increased. Saturation is concurrent with rapid fluctuations in emission current and distinctive changes in the field emission patterns. At high fields, the adsorbate states are completely removed from the nanotube. A single, clean single-walled nanotube shows no evidence of current saturation for emission currents reaching 2 µA. ©2000 American Institute of Physics.
History: Received 9 September 1999; accepted 8 November 1999
Permalink: http://link.aip.org/link/?APPLAB/76/375/1
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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords
PACS
  • 85.45.Db
    Electronic and magnetic devices; microelectronics Vacuum microelectronics Field emitter and arrays, cold electron emitters
  • 79.70.+q
    Electron and ion emission by liquids and solids; impact phenomena Field emission, ionization, evaporation, and desorption
  • 68.45.-v
    Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties) Solid–fluid interfaces
  • 73.61.Wp
    Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films Electrical properties of specific thin films and layer structures (multilayers, superlattices, quantum wells, wires, and dots) Fullerenes and related materials
  • YEAR: 2000

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:
0003-6951 (print)   1077-3118 (online)
Publisher:
AIP is a member of CrossRef AIP

REFERENCES (19)
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